In vivo proton MR spectroscopy of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in a multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 conditional knockout mouse model.
OBJECTIVE
MR spectroscopy (MRS) can improve diagnosis and follow treatment in cancer. However, no study has yet reported application of in vivo (1)H-MRS in malignant pancreatic lesions. This study quantitatively determined whether in vivo (1)H-MRS on multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (Men1) conditional knockout (KO) mice and their wild type (WT) littermates could detect differences in total choline (tCho) levels between tumor and control pancreas.


METHODS
Relative tCho levels in pancreatic tumors or pancreata from KO and WT mice were determined using in vivo (1)H-MRS at 9.4 T. The levels of Cho-containing compounds were also quantified using in vitro (1)H-NMR on extracts of pancreatic tissues from KO and WT mice, respectively, and on extracts of pancreatic tissues from patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs).


RESULTS
tCho levels measured by in vivo (1)H-MRS were significantly higher in PNETs from KO mice compared to the normal pancreas from WT mice. The elevated choline-containing compounds were also identified in pancreatic tumors from KO mice and tissues from patients with PNETs via in vitro (1)H-NMR.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate the potential use of tCho levels estimated via in vivo (1)H-MRS in differentiating malignant pancreatic tumors from benign tumors.
Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.|Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.|Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Min-Hui
MH
Cui
Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.|Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.|Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Craig A
CA
Branch
Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Sean M
SM
Cahill
Department of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Thomas J
TJ
Quinn
Department of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Asha
A
Adem
Department of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.|Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Steven K
SK
Libutti
Department of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Ziqiang
Z
Yuan
D000818:Animals; D002794:Choline / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018761:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
D014157:Transcription Factors; D002794:Choline
Men1 conditional knockout mouse model; in vivo proton MR spectroscopy; pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors; total choline levels