In vivo metabolic imaging of cardiac bioenergetics in transgenic mice

Recent advances in transgenic technology have made the mouse a particularly interesting small animal in cardiovascular research. Increasingly sophisti cated experimental methods and tools are needed for detailed characterizati on of cardiovascular physiology and biochemistry in the mice. The objective of this study was to develop a method for noninvasive evaluation of cardia c energy metabolism in the mouse. Cardiac gated P-31 magnetic resonance spe ctroscopy using Image Selected in Vivo Spectroscopy (ISIS) method was appli ed in old mice overexpressing bovine growth hormone (bGH) (n = 5) and contr ol mice (n = 5). The localized volumes of interest were 128 and 112 mu L, r espectively. Phosphocreatine-to-ATP ratio was 1.5 +/- 0.13 in the bGH mice and 2.1 +/- 0.04 in the control group (P < 0.01). The study demonstrates th e feasibility of application of volume-selective P-31 MRS for evaluation of cardiac energy metabolism in the mouse under maintained physiological cond itions. (C) 2000 Academic Press.