Characterization of lipids from human brain tissues by multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Multinuclear (H-1, C-13, and P-31) magnetic resonance spectroscopy are appl ied to the biochemical characterization of the total lipid fraction of heal thy and neoplastic human brain tissues. Lipid extracts from normal brains, glioblastomas, anaplastic oligodendrogliomas, oligodendrogliomas, and menin giomas are examined. Moreover, the unknown liquid content of a cyst adjacen t to a meningioma is analyzed. Two biopsies from glioblastomas are directly studied by H-1-NMR without any treatment (ex vivo NMR). The H-1- and C-13- NMR analysis allows full characterization of the lipid component of the cer ebral tissues. In particular, the presence of cholesteryl esters and trigly cerides in the extracts of high grade tumors is correlated to the vascular proliferation degree, which is different from normal brain tissue and low g rade neoplasms. The P-31 spectra show that phosphatidylcholine is the promi nent phospholipid and its relative amount, which is higher in gliomas, is c orrelated to the low grade of differentiation of tumor cells and an altered membrane turnover. The ex vivo H-1-NMR data on the glioblastoma samples sh ow the presence of mobile lipids that are correlated to cell necrotic pheno mena. Our data allow a direct correlation between biochemical results obtai ned by NAM and the histopathological factors (vascular and cell proliferati ons, differentiation, and necrosis) that are prominent in determining brain tumor grading. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.