title: A radiofrequency system for in vivo hyperpolarized13C MRS experiments in mice with a 3T MRI clinical scanner.
abstract: Hyperpolarized carbon-13 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a powerful tool to explore tissue metabolic state, by permitting the study of intermediary metabolism of biomolecules in vivo. However, a number of technological problems still limit this technology and need innovative solutions. In particular, the low molar concentration of derivate metabolites give rise to low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which makes the design and development of dedicated radiofrequency (RF) coils a fundamental task. In this article, the authors describe the simulation and the design of a RF coils configuration for MR experiments in mice, constituted by a1H whole body volume RF coil for imaging and a13C single circular loop surface RF coil for performing13C acquisitions. After the building, the RF system was employed in an in vivo experiment in a mouse injected with hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate by using a 3 T clinical MR scanner. SCANNING 38:710-719, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy.|Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giovannetti
authors.affiliation: Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy.|Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flori
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marsigli
authors.affiliation: Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Marchi
authors.affiliation: Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Frijia
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giannoni
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kusmic
authors.affiliation: Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Positano
authors.affiliation: Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni Donato
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Aquaro
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy.|Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Menichetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D066241:Carbon-13 Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D051379:Mice; D019289:Pyruvic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D011846:Radio Waves
chemical_list: D019289:Pyruvic Acid
keywords: hyperpolarized 13C; magnetic resonance spectroscopy; radiofrequency coils