Complete separation of intracellular and extracellular information in NMR spectra of perfused cells by diffusion-weighted spectroscopy.
A method is outlined that completely separates intracellular and extracellular information in NMR spectra of perfused cells. The technique uses diffusion weighting to exploit differences in motional properties between intra- and extracellular constituents. This allows monitoring of intracellular metabolism, and of transport of small drugs and nutrients through the cell membrane, under controlled physiological conditions. As a first example, proton spectra of drug-resistant MCF-7 human breast cancer cells are studied, and uptake of phenylalanine is monitored.
Van Zijl
P C
PC
National Cancer Institute, Medicine Branch, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Moonen
C T
CT
Faustino
P
P
Pekar
J
J
Kaplan
O
O
Cohen
J S
JS
D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D004058:Diffusion; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
D014867:Water; D010649:Phenylalanine