Muscle-associated triglyceride measured by computed tomography and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
OBJECTIVE
Muscle triglyceride can be assessed in vivo using computed tomography (CT) and 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), two techniques that are based on entirely different biophysical principles. Little is known, however, about the cross-correlation between these techniques and their test-retest reliability.


METHODS
We compared mean muscle attenuation (MA) in soleus and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles measured by CT with intra- and extramyocellular lipids (IMCL and EMCL, respectively) measured by MRS in 51 volunteers (26 to 72 years of age, BMI = 25.5 to 39.3 kg/m2). MA of midthighs was also measured in a subset (n = 19). Test-retest measurements were performed by CT (n = 6) and MRS (n = 10) in separate sets of volunteers.


RESULTS
MA of soleus was significantly associated with IMCL (r = -0.64) and EMCL, which by multiple regression analysis was explained mostly by IMCL (p < 0.001) rather than EMCL (beta = -0.010, p = 0.94). Muscle triglyceride was lower in TA than in soleus, and MA of TA was significantly correlated with EMCL (r = -0.40) but not IMCL (r = -0.16). By CT, MA of midthighs was correlated with MA in soleus (r = 0.40, p = 0.07) and whole calf (r = 0.62, p < 0.05). Finally, both MA and IMCL were highly reliable in soleus (coefficient of variation = < 2% and 6.7%, respectively) and less reliable in TA (4% and 10%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the use of both CT and MRS as reliable methods for assessing skeletal muscle lipid.
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (Human Nutrition), Department 3354, College of Agriculture, 1000 East University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA. enette@uwyo.edu
D Enette
DE
Larson-Meyer
Steven R
SR
Smith
Leonie K
LK
Heilbronn
David E
DE
Kelley
Eric
E
Ravussin
Bradley R
BR
Newcomer
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
D014280:Triglycerides