31P Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Studies of Skeletal Muscle: New Insights into the Pathophysiology of Congestive Heart Failure

Clinical Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

“…Studies of calf muscle metabolism in subjects with peripheral vascular disease (claudication) demonstrated decreases in PCr and pH and increases of Pi (117–121), which was as expected because with reduced blood flow there are rapid metabolic changes in exercising normal subjects compared with controls. In many ways, the findings in peripheral vascular disease parallel those in heart failure, with (compared with controls) more rapid changes in high‐energy phosphate and acidification during exercise, decreased oxidative capacity and partial reversal of these changes with exercise training (107).…”

“…These studies are facilitated by its superficial location, high concentrations of high‐energy phosphates and the high metabolic requirements during exercise. In man, 31 P‐MRS has been used to examine the mechanisms of muscle contraction and muscle fatigue and to diagnose muscle disease including McArdle's syndrome and mitochondrial myopathies (107). Phosphates are the same as those detected in heart with two differences, that in skeletal muscle the 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate signals contributed by blood are negligible and the PCr peak very intense.…”