In vitro 31P NMR spectroscopy of the reproductive organs of the male rat: an improved preparation method.

In vitro 31P spectroscopy can be applied to disentangle the broad resonances in in vivo 31P NMR spectra of the reproductive organs of the male rat. However, adenosinetriphosphate (ATP) and glycerophosphocholine (GPC), present in large amounts in vivo, are nearly completely absent in vitro. With a modified PCA extraction method, in which the organs were lyophilized before extraction, a large amount of ATP and GPC could be found in vitro. This new extraction method is probably not only restricted to in vitro analysis of the testis but is likely to be useful for analysis of other organs such as kidney and liver.

31P NMR study of cisplatin- and doxorubicin-induced changes in tumour metabolism in rats with a cisplatin-sensitive or -resistant immunocytoma.

The response of tumours to treatment with the cytostatic drugs cisplatin (CDDP) or doxorubicin (DXR) was followed in vivo by 31P NMR spectroscopy. A CDDP-sensitive parent line (IgM-I) and a CDDP-resistant subline (IgM/CDDP) of the IgM-immunocytoma grown s.c. on LOU/M WsL rats were used. Animals from both tumour groups (n = 33) were divided into 3 subgroups: CDDP-treated (1 mg/kg), DXR-treated (10 mg/kg) and control. In 3 out of the 4 treated subgroups where the tumours regressed to less than one half of the initial size, 31P NMR spectroscopy revealed alkaline shifts of 0.31-0.41 pH units at day 4, while the ratio of nucleoside triphosphate to Pi in the tumours, increased continuously to 250-435%. Following CDDP treatment, the 31P NMR spectra of the non-responding IgM/CDDP tumours showed a similar pH increase (0.37 units). The ratio of NTP/Pi showed a temporary decrease to 63 +/- 14% SEM at day 1, which was followed by a recovery to 130 +/- 12% at day 2 and 119 +/- 15% at day 4. The control tumours showed no change in pH and a gradual decrease in the ratio of NTP/Pi. In DXR-treated rats the concentrations of DXR in the immunocytoma tumour and its subline were similar, but in the CDDP-treated rats the IgM-I tumours contained significantly higher levels of platinum than the IgM/CDDP tumours, both measured at 3 and 4 days after administration. The continuous increase in NTP/Pi ratio observed in the responding tumours, is a phenomenon characteristic of tumour regression, while the early temporary decrease in tumour NTP/Pi ratio could be associated with resistance to CDDP. Whether the reported response-specific spectral change applies to other tumour types and other treatment regimens remains to be established.

31P NMR study of the impact of dietary manipulation on tumor metabolism and response to methotrexate.

The effects of nutritional manipulation and subsequent chemotherapeutic treatment upon growth and metabolism of a transplanted rat rhabdomyosarcoma were investigated by in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy. Nutritional manipulation was accomplished by administration of a protein deprived diet containing no protein and 75.5% glucose. After 5 days the protein deprived rats (PD rats) were nutritionally replenished with a normal protein diet containing 27% protein and 47.3% glucose. Twenty-four hours after nutritional replenishment the PD rats and continuously well-fed controls (NP rats) received methotrexate (MTX, 30 mg/kg, i.p.). 31P NMR spectroscopy of the tumors 24 h after MTX administration showed a decreased ratio of nucleoside triphosphates to inorganic phosphate (referred to as 'ATP/Pi ratio') in PD rats in contrast to an unchanged ATP/Pi ratio in the NP controls. At the time of MTX administration the PD rats had a significantly lower tumor pH than the NP group (6.75 +/- 0.03 [SEM] vs 6.95 +/- 0.04; p less than 0.02). Tumor response in the PD group was significantly (p less than 0.01) enhanced compared to the NP group. These findings indicate that a period of dietary protein deprivation combined with a high glucose load and followed by nutritional replenishment impairs tumor metabolism. The altered metabolic status is expressed by acidification of the tumor and distinct changes in ATP/Pi ratio and appears to relate to an enhanced susceptibility to MTX chemotherapy.

Murine mammary tumor response to hyperthermia and radiotherapy evaluated by in vivo 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The response of the s.c.-implanted murine mammary carcinoma NU-82 to hyperthermia was followed as a function of time by 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Treatment consisted of elevation of the temperature of the tumors to 41-45 degrees C during 15 min. At 18 h after temperatures of up to 42, 43, 44, and 45 degrees C the ratio of ATP/Pi was unchanged, decreased, largely decreased, and approaching zero, respectively. After the higher doses the relative concentrations (in percentage of total phosphate as visible in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum) of phosphomonoesters (mainly phosphoethanolamine) and phosphocreatine also decreased in favor of Pi. The changes in phosphodiesters (mainly glycerophosphocholine) correlated linearly with the changes in ATP (r = 0.84, P less than 0.025). Whereas the limited spectral changes after a dose of 43 degrees C were nullified within 24 h, the more drastic changes after a dose of 45 degrees C lasted at least 8 days. The heavier dose not only induced temporary decreases in tumor perfusion like the lower dose (phase 1) but subsequently, unlike the lower dose, resulted in formation of necrosis (phase 2). In the same tumor we found increases in Pi and decreases in ATP and phosphodiesters after radiotherapy with a dose of 20 Gy. Radiotherapy (20 Gy) combined with hyperthermia (44 degrees C) appeared to strengthen these effects and resulted in an improved tumor response (regression).

In vivo 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance study of the response of a murine mammary tumor to different doses of gamma-radiation.

The response of the s.c. implanted murine mammary carcinoma NU-82 to 10 and 20 Gy of gamma-radiation was followed by in vivo 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on 48 mice during a period of 2 days. During the first 8 h after a dose of 10 Gy, the ratio of ATP/inorganic phosphate increases to a value of 120 +/- 15% (SE) of the control value. This rise is followed by a decrease of the ratio to 74 +/- 12% after 47 h. However treatment with 20 Gy causes the ratio of ATP/Pi to decrease gradually to a level of 45 +/- 7% after 47 h. Histological investigations demonstrated that radiation-induced necrosis largely contributes to this phenomenon. During the time of observation irradiated tumors displayed no changes in size and intracellular pH. After treatment with 10 Gy as well as with 20 Gy, the phosphodiester resonance decreased in intensity. By 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on extracts of the NU-82 tumor, two phosphodiesters were identified, glycerophosphocholine and glycerophosphoethanolamine.