PHOSPHORUS MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY - A NONINVASIVE TECHNIQUE FOR THE STUDY OF OCCLUSIVE ARTERIAL LEG DISEASE AND PERIPHERAL VASODILATOR THERAPY

Using P-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the calf muscle, the authors studied patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disea se. They studied PCr depletion and intracellular pH during aerobic exe rcise in patients and controls. The phosphocreatine (PCr) index {[PCr] / ([PCr] + [Pi])} at rest was correlated with blood flow measured by plethysmography. During aerobic exercise a greater decrease in pH was obtained in patients (p < 0.03). They also studied the work necessary to reach a PCr index = 0.5 during ischemic exercise. This workload was lower in patients than in controls: 32.99 +/- 3.04 J vs 58.89 +/- 8.5 5 J, p < 0.05. After vasodilator therapy the workload was improved in patients: 32.99 +/- 3.04 J vs 38.85 +/- 3.54 J, p < 0.05. These result s suggest that therapy resulted in improved tissue perfusion in patien ts.