Study of myocardial metabolism in heterotopically transplanted rat hearts by 31P NMR

This is a first study which investigated in vivo myocardial metabolism changes associated with acute graft rejection by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The donor hearts were heterotopically transplanted in the cervical portion of the recipient rats. Mean graft survival in the allogeneic transplantation group (Exp. G.) was 9.3 ± 2.6 days (n = 6), while all of the grafts (n = 5) in the syngeneic transplantation group (Cont. G.) have survived more than 21 days (the longest one : > 192) without any rejection episode. Six different kinds of signals were obtained in the spectrum by 31P NMR spectroscopy : phosphomonoester (PME), inorganic phosphate (Pi), phosphocreatine (PCr), as well as ATP-α, -β and -γ. The results obtained here showed : (1) After 24 hours of transplantation, increased Pi/PCr ratios (> 0.5) were observed both in the Exp. G. and in the Cont. G., which suggested the myocardial damage due to transplantation operation procedure. The ratios were gradually decreased and reached to less than 0.5 on the 3rd day after grafting. (2) Thereafter, in the Exp. G. Pi was gradually increased and PCr was gradually decreased because of the acute rejection; the Pi/PCr ratio was elevated beyond 0.5. However, no change of Pi/PCr ratio was observed in the Cont. G. 31P NMR spectroscopy employed in the experimental model of heterotopic heart transplantation at the cervical portion of rats was found to be useful and non-invasive for the study of myocardial metabolism after grafting. (author)