Noninvasive Characterization of Metabolic Changes in Ischemic Stroke Using Z-spectrum-fitted Multiparametric Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Objective This study aimed to noninvasively characterize the metabolic alterations in ischemic brain tissues using Z-spectrum-fitted multiparametric chemical exchange saturation transfer-weighted magnetic resonance imaging(CEST-MRI).Methods Three sets of Z-spectrum data with saturation power(B_(1))values of 1.5,2.5,and 3.5µT,respectively,were acquired from 17 patients with ischemic stroke.Multiple contrasts contributing to the Z-spectrum,including fitted amide proton transfer(APT_(fitted)),+2 ppm peak(CEST@2ppm),concomitantly fitted APT_(fitted) and CEST@2ppm(APT&CEST@2ppm),semisolid magnetization transfer contrast(MT),aliphatic nuclear Overhauser effect(NOE),and direct saturation of water(DSW),were fitted with 4 and 5 Lorentzian functions,respectively.The CEST metrics were compared between ischemic lesions and contralateral normal white matter(CNWM),and the correlation between the CEST metrics and the apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)was assessed.The differences in the Z-spectrum metrics under varied B1 values were also investigated.Results Ischemic lesions showed increased APTfitted,CEST@2ppm,APT&CEST@2ppm,NOE,and DSW as well as decreased MT.APT&CEST@2ppm,MT,and DSW showed a significant correlation with ADC[APT&CEST@2ppm at the 3 B_(1) values:R=0.584/0.467/0.551;MT at the 3 B_(1) values:R=−0.717/−0.695/−0.762(4-parameter fitting),R=−0.734/−0.711/−0.785(5-parameter fitting);DSW of 4-/5-parameter fitting:R=0.794/0.811(2.5µT),R=0.800/0.790(3.5µT)].However,the asymmetric analysis of amide proton transfer(APT_(asym))could not differentiate the lesions from CNWM and showed no correlation with ADC.Furthermore,the Z-spectrum contrasts varied with B_(1).Conclusion The Z-spectrum-fitted multiparametric CEST-MRI can comprehensively detect metabolic alterations in ischemic brain tissues.

Evaluation of Glycosaminoglycan in the Lumbar Disc Using Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer MR at 3.0 Tesla:Reproducibility and Correlation with Disc Degeneration

Objective This study aims to explore the clinical applicability and relevance of giycosaminoglycan Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer （gagCEST） for intervertebral disc. Methods 25 subjects ranging in age from 24 yrs to 74 yrs were enrolled, gagCEST was acquired using a single-slice TSE sequence on a 3T. Saturation used a continuous rectangular RF pulse with B1=0.8 I^T and a fixed duration time =1100 ms. Sagittal image was obtained firstly without saturation pulse, and then saturated images were acquired at 52 offsets ranging from ＋0.i25 to ＋_7 parts per million （ppm）. MR T2 relaxivity map was acquired at the identical location. Six subjects were scanned twice to assess scan-rescan reproducibility. Results GagCEST intraclass correlation coefficient （ICC） of six subjects was 0.759 for nucleus pulposus （NP） and 0.508 for annulus fibrosus （AF）. Bland-Altman plots showed NP had a mean difference of 0.10% （95% limits of agreement： -3.02% to 3.22%）; while that of AF was 0.34% （95% limits of agreement： -2.28% to 2.95%）. For the 25 subjects, gag CEST in NP decreased as disc degeneration increased, with a similar trend to T2 relaxivity. Gag CEST of AF showed a better correlation with disc degeneration than T2 relaxivity. Conclusion GagCEST in NP and AF decreased as disc degeneration increased, while gagCEST in AF showed a better correlation than T2 relaxivity.

Kinetic characterization of a slow chemical exchange between two sites in N,N-dimethylacetylamide by CEST NMR spectroscopy

Nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)spectroscopy has provided many powerful tools for the study of dynamic processes.Among the reported methods,chemical exchange saturation transfer(CEST)is more suitable for systems with slow exchange rates,and there will be promising in the detection and dynamic mechanism of metastable substances.It has been widely used in magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),however whether it is applicable in the field of chemical kinetics needs more examples.Here we studied,as a proof of concept,the kinetics of the slow chemical exchange between the two N-methyl protons of N,N-dimethylacetylamide(DMA),exploiting QUantifying Exchange using Z-spectrum(QUEZS)and QUantifying Exchange using Saturation Time(QUEST)methods.It turned out that both of QUEZS and QUEST could give the corresponding exchange rates,showcasing the capability of this method to provide accurate kinetic data under a range of temperatures.Our results clearly demonstrated the reliability of CEST-based techniques as a tool for dynamic kinetics by NMR.