title: Ex vivo HR-MAS magnetic resonance spectroscopy of normal and malignant human renal tissues.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine the metabolic profile of normal and tumoral renal tissues by ex vivo high resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HR-MAS MRS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients, three affected by clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and two by papillary RCC, were examined. A radical nephrectomy was performed in each. In all patients, fresh tissue samples taken from normal cortex, normal medulla and tumor were collected and analyzed by mono-dimensional HR-MAS MRS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The spectra of human normal cortex and medulla showed the presence of differently distributed organic osmolytes as markers of a physiological renal condition. The marked decrease or disappearance of these metabolites and the high lipid content (triglycerides and cholesteryl esters) is typical of clear cell RCC, while papillary RCC are characterized by the absence of lipids and very high amounts of taurine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper demonstrates that ex vivo HR-MAS MRS is a viable and powerful means of probing for molecular information in human normal and tumoral renal tissues. This research will constitute the basis for a biochemical classification of renal neoplastic pathologies, especially for RCCs, which can be thus evaluated by in vivo MRS for clinical purposes. Moreover, these data may contribute to a better knowledge of the molecular processes for the basis of the onset of renal carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica "G. Moruzzi", Sezione di Chimica e Propedeutica Biochimica, Universita di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Righi
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mucci
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schenetti
authors.forename: Maria Raffaella
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Tosi
authors.forename: Walter Franco
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Grigioni
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Corti
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertaccini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franceschelli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanguedolce
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schiavina
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martorana
authors.forename: Vitaliano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tugnoli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003903:Deuterium; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D007679:Kidney Medulla / Q000378:metabolism*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005227:Fatty Acids; D009842:Oligopeptides; D011522:Protons; D003903:Deuterium