Simultaneous creatine and phosphocreatine mapping of skeletal muscle by CEST MRI at 3T

Abstract

PurposeTo confirm that CrCEST in muscle exhibits a slow‐exchanging process, and to obtain high‐resolution amide, creatine (Cr), and phosphocreatine (PCr) maps of skeletal muscle using a POlynomial and Lorentzian Line‐shape Fitting (PLOF) CEST at 3T.MethodsWe used dynamic changes in PCr/CrCEST of mouse hindlimb before and after euthanasia to assign the Cr and PCr CEST peaks in the Z‐spectrum at 3T and to obtain the optimum saturation parameters. Segmented 3D EPI was employed to obtain multi‐slice amide, PCr, and Cr CEST maps of human skeletal muscle. Subsequently, the PCrCEST maps were calibrated using the PCr concentrations determined by 31P MRS.ResultsA comparison of the Z‐spectra in mouse hindlimb before and after euthanasia indicated that CrCEST is a slow‐exchanging process in muscle (<150.7 s−1). This allowed us to simultaneously extract PCr/CrCEST signals at 3T using the PLOF method. We determined optimal B1 values ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 μT for CrCEST in muscle and 0.3–1.2 μT for PCrCEST. For the study on human calf muscle, we determined an optimum saturation time of 2 s for both PCr/CrCEST (B1 = 0.6 μT). The PCr/CrCEST using 3D EPI were found to be comparable to those obtained using turbo spin echo (TSE). (3D EPI/TSE PCr: (2.6 ± 0.3) %/(2.3 ± 0.1) %; Cr: (1.3 ± 0.1) %/(1.4 ± 0.07) %).ConclusionsOur study showed that in vivo CrCEST is a slow‐exchanging process. Hence, amide, Cr, and PCr CEST in the skeletal muscle can be mapped simultaneously at 3T by PLOF CEST.