Metabolic Studies of Tumor Cells Using [1-13C] Pyruvate Hyperpolarized by Means of PHIP-Side Arm Hydrogenation

The kinetics of metabolic processes can be assessed, in real time by means of MR hyperpolarized (HP) metabolites. [1-¹³C]pyruvate, hyperpolarized by means of d-DNP, is, by far, the substrate most widely applied to the investigation of several pathologies characterized by deregulated glycolytic metabolic networks, including cancer. Hyperpolarization of [1-¹³C]pyruvate by means of the cost effective, fast and easy to handle PHIP-SAH (para-hydrogen induced polarization-side arm hydrogenation) method opens-up a pathway for the application of HP metabolites to a wide range of cancer-related studies. Herein, we report the first application of PHIP-SAH hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]pyruvate in the investigation of upregulated glycolysis in two murine breast cancer cell lines (168FARN and 4T1). The results obtained using HP pyruvate have been validated with a conventional biochemical assay and are coherent with previously-reported lactate dehydrogenase activity measured in those cells.     

ParaHydrogen Polarized Ethyl-[1-13C]pyruvate in Water,a Key Substrate for Fostering the PHIP-SAH Approach to Metabolic Imaging

An efficient synthesis of vinyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate has been reported, from which ¹³C hyperpolarized (HP) ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate has been obtained by means of ParaHydrogen Induced Polarization (PHIP). Due to the intrinsic lability of pyruvate, which leads quickly to degradation of the reaction mixture even under mild reaction conditions, the vinyl-ester has been synthesized through the intermediacy of a more stable ketal derivative. ¹³C and ¹H hyperpolarizations of ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate, hydrogenated using ParaHydrogen, have been compared to those observed on the more widely used allyl-derivative. It has been demonstrated that the spin order transfer from ParaHydrogen protons to ¹³C, is more efficient on the ethyl than on the allyl-esterdue to the larger J-couplings involved. The main requirements needed for the biological application of this HP product have been met, i. e. an aqueous solution of the product at high concentration (40 mM) with a good ¹³C polarization level (4.8 %) has been obtained. The in vitro metabolic transformation of the HP ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate, catalyzed by an esterase, has been observed. This substrate appears to be a good candidate for in vivo metabolic investigations using PHIP hyperpolarized probes.     

Order-Unity 13C Nuclear Polarization of [1-13C]Pyruvate in Seconds and the Interplay of Water and SABRE Enhancement

Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange in SHield Enabled Alignment Transfer (SABRE-SHEATH) is investigated to achieve rapid hyperpolarization of ¹³C₁ spins of [1-¹³C]pyruvate, using parahydrogen as the source of nuclear spin order. Pyruvate exchange with an iridium polarization transfer complex can be modulated via a sensitive interplay between temperature and co-ligation of DMSO and H₂O. Order-unity ¹³C (>50 %) polarization of catalyst-bound [1-¹³C]pyruvate is achieved in less than 30 s by restricting the chemical exchange of [1-¹³C]pyruvate at lower temperatures. On the catalyst bound pyruvate, 39 % polarization is measured using a 1.4 T NMR spectrometer, and extrapolated to >50 % at the end of build-up in situ. The highest measured polarization of a 30-mM pyruvate sample, including free and bound pyruvate is 13 % when using 20 mM DMSO and 0.5 M water in CD₃OD. Efficient ¹³C polarization is also enabled by favorable relaxation dynamics in sub-microtesla magnetic fields, as indicated by fast polarization buildup rates compared to the T₁ spin-relaxation rates (e. g., ∼0.2 s⁻¹ versus ∼0.1 s⁻¹, respectively, for a 6 mM catalyst-[1-¹³C]pyruvate sample). Finally, the catalyst-bound hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]pyruvate can be released rapidly by cycling the temperature and/or by optimizing the amount of water, paving the way to future biomedical applications of hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]pyruvate produced via comparatively fast and simple SABRE-SHEATH-based approaches.     

A Strategy to Design Hyperpolarized 13C Magnetic Resonance Probes Using [1‐13C]α‐Amino Acid as a Scaffold Structure

Hyperpolarization is an emerging method that dramatically enhances NMR signal intensity. As a result of their increased sensitivity, hyperpolarized (HP) NMR molecular probes can be used to perform time‐resolved spectroscopy and imaging in vitro and in vivo. It is, however, challenging to design such probes de novo. Herein, the [1‐¹³C]α‐amino acid is reported as a scaffold structure to design HP ¹³C NMR molecular probes. The [1‐¹³C]α‐amino acid can be converted to various HP ¹³C chemical probes that show sufficient chemical shift change by altering the chemical state of the α nitrogen upon interaction with the target. Several previously reported HP probes could be explained by this design principle. To demonstrate the versatility of this approach, two α‐amino‐acid‐based HP ¹³C chemical probes, sensitive to pH and Ca²⁺ ion, were developed and used to detect targets.     

Heterogeneous 1H and 13C Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization of Acetate and Pyruvate Esters

Magnetic resonance imaging of [1-¹³C]hyperpolarized carboxylates (most notably, [1-¹³C]pyruvate) allows one to visualize abnormal metabolism in tumors and other pathologies. Herein, we investigate the efficiency of ¹H and ¹³C hyperpolarization of acetate and pyruvate esters with ethyl, propyl and allyl alcoholic moieties using heterogeneous hydrogenation of corresponding vinyl, allyl and propargyl precursors in isotopically unlabeled and 1-¹³C-enriched forms with parahydrogen over Rh/TiO₂ catalysts in methanol-d₄ and in D₂O. The maximum obtained ¹H polarization was 0.6±0.2 % (for propyl acetate in CD₃OD), while the highest ¹³C polarization was 0.10±0.03 % (for ethyl acetate in CD₃OD). Hyperpolarization of acetate esters surpassed that of pyruvates, while esters with a triple carbon-carbon bond in unsaturated alcoholic moiety were less efficient as parahydrogen-induced polarization precursors than esters with a double bond. Among the compounds studied, the maximum ¹H and ¹³C NMR signal intensities were observed for propyl acetate. Ethyl acetate yielded slightly less intense NMR signals which were dramatically greater than those of other esters under study.     

pH Dependence of T1 for 13C-Labelled Small Molecules Commonly Used for Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Hyperpolarization is a method to enhance the nuclear magnetic resonance signal by up to five orders of magnitude. However, the hyperpolarized (HP) state is transient and decays with the spin-lattice relaxation time (T₁), which is on the order of a few tens of seconds. Here, we analyzed the pH-dependence of T₁ for commonly used HP ¹³C-labelled small molecules such as acetate, alanine, fumarate, lactate, pyruvate, urea and zymonic acid. For instance, the T₁ of HP pyruvate is about 2.5 fold smaller at acidic pH (25 s, pH 1.7, B₀=1 T) compared to pH close to physiological conditions (66 s, pH 7.3, B₀=1 T). Our data shows that increasing hydronium ion concentrations shorten the T₁ of protonated carboxylic acids of most of the analyzed molecules except lactate. Furthermore it suggests that intermolecular hydrogen bonding at low pH can contribute to this T₁ shortening. In addition, enhanced proton exchange and chemical reactions at the pK_a appear to be detrimental for the HP-state.     

Nuclear Spin Hyperpolarization of NH2- and CH3-Substituted Pyridine and Pyrimidine Moieties by SABRE

Hyperpolarization of N-heterocycles with signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) induces NMR sensitivity gains for biological molecules. Substitutions with functional groups, in particular in the ortho-position of the heterocycle, however, result in low polarization using a typical Ir catalyst with a bis-mesityl N-heterocyclic carbene ligand for SABRE, presumably due to steric hindrance. With the addition of allylamine or acetonitrile as coligands to the precatalyst chloro(1,5-cyclooctadiene)[4,5-dimethyl-1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene] iridium, the ¹H signal enhancement increased in several substrates with ortho NH₂ substitutions. For example, for a proton in 2,4-diaminopyrimidine, the enhancement factors increased from −7±1 to −210±20 with allylamine or to −160±10 with acetonitrile. CH₃ substituted molecules yielded maximum signal enhancements of −25±7 with acetonitrile addition, which is considerably less than the corresponding NH₂ substituted molecules, despite exhibiting similar steric size. With the more electron-donating NH₂ substitution resulting in greater enhancement, it is concluded that steric hindrance is not the only dominant factor in determining the polarizability of the CH₃ substituted compounds. The addition of allylamine increased the signal enhancement for the 290 Da trimethoprim, a molecule with a 2,4-diaminopyrimidine moiety serving as an antibacterial agent, to −70.     

Metabolite characterisation in peritoneal dialysis effluent using high‐resolution 1H and 1H–13C NMR spectroscopy

Metabolite analysis of peritoneal dialysis (PD) effluent may provide information regarding onset and progression of complications associated with prolonged PD therapy. In this context, the nuclear magnetic resonance detectable small metabolites of PD effluent samples were characterised using high‐resolution ¹H and ¹H–¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The various spectra were recorded (at 800 MHz proton frequency) on PD effluent samples obtained after 4‐h (intraperitoneal) dwell time from patients with end‐stage renal failure and continuing normally on PD therapy. In spite of devastating spectral feature of PD effluent due to the presence of intense resonances from glucose and lactate, we were able to identify 53 small endogenous metabolites (including many complex coupled spin systems) and more than 90% of the total CH cross peaks of ¹H–¹³C heteronuclear single‐quantum correlation spectrum specific to various metabolites of PD effluent. We foresee that the characteristic fingerprints of various metabolites of control PD effluent samples will be used to identify and distinguish metabolic differences from PD‐related complications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

1H and 13C NMR studies of 2-functionalized 5-(methylsulfonyl)-1-phenyl-1H-indoles

The 1H and 13C NMR resonances of thirty 2-functionalized 5-(methylsulfonyl)-1-phenyl-1H-indoles were assigned completely and unequivocally using the concerted application of one- and two-dimensional experiments (DEPT, gs-HMQC and gs-HMBC). Finally, the influence of the 2-substituent of 5-(methylsufonyl)-1-phenyl-1H-indoles on the carbon atoms of the indole moiety was estimated.     

Heterogeneous Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization of Diethyl Ether for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Applications

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the use of hyperpolarized gases as contrast agents provides valuable information on lungs structure and function. While the technology of ¹²⁹Xe hyperpolarization for clinical MRI research is well developed, it requires the expensive equipment for production and detection of hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe. Herein we present the ¹H hyperpolarization of diethyl ether vapor that can be imaged on any clinical MRI scanner. ¹H nuclear spin polarization of up to 1.3 % was achieved using heterogeneous hydrogenation of ethyl vinyl ether with parahydrogen over Rh/TiO₂ catalyst. Liquefaction of diethyl ether vapor proceeds with partial preservation of hyperpolarization and prolongs its lifetime by ≈10 times. The proof-of-principle 2D ¹H MRI of hyperpolarized diethyl ether was demonstrated with 0.1×1.1 mm² spatial and 120 ms temporal resolution. The long history of use of diethyl ether for anesthesia is expected to facilitate the clinical translation of the presented approach.     

Complete 1H and 13C NMR spectral assignment of cis- and trans- 3-(2-[2-(4-methylphenyl)ethenyl]phenyl])sydnones

1H and 13C NMR spectra of cis- and trans-3-(2-[2-(4-methylphenyl)ethenyl]phenyl])sydnones, the first stilbene-substituted mezoionic oxadiazolium rings, were fully assigned combining the information in various solvents, such as deuterated benzene, acetone and chloroform, using 2D NMR techniques.     

Production of Pure Aqueous 13C‐Hyperpolarized Acetate by Heterogeneous Parahydrogen‐Induced Polarization

A supported metal catalyst was designed, characterized, and tested for aqueous phase heterogeneous hydrogenation of vinyl acetate with parahydrogen to produce ¹³C‐hyperpolarized ethyl acetate for potential biomedical applications. The Rh/TiO₂ catalyst with a metal loading of 23.2 wt % produced strongly hyperpolarized ¹³C‐enriched ethyl acetate‐1‐¹³C detected at 9.4 T. An approximately 14‐fold ¹³C signal enhancement was detected using circa 50 % parahydrogen gas without taking into account relaxation losses before and after polarization transfer by magnetic field cycling from nascent parahydrogen‐derived protons to ¹³C nuclei. This first observation of ¹³C PHIP‐hyperpolarized products over a supported metal catalyst in an aqueous medium opens up new possibilities for production of catalyst‐free aqueous solutions of nontoxic hyperpolarized contrast agents for a wide range of biomolecules amenable to the parahydrogen induced polarization by side arm hydrogenation (PHIP‐SAH) approach.     

1H and 13C NMR assignments for two anthraquinones and two xanthones from the mangrove fungus (ZSUH-36)

We report the unambiguous assignments of the (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra of one new natural product, namely, 6,8-di-O-methyl versiconol (1) together with one known anthraquinone aversin (2) and two xanthones 5-methoxysterigmatocystin (3) and sterigmatocystin (4). These compounds were all isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus ZSUH-36 from the South China Sea. 1D and 2D NMR experiments including COSY, HMQC and HMBC were used to elucidate the structures. Variations in the (1)H NMR spectrum of 6,8-di-O-methyl versiconol (1) were also observed in the temperature range 25-75 degrees C. In addition, the plausible biogenetic path from 1 to 2 is discussed.     

1H HR-MAS NMR Based Metabolic Profiling of Lung Cancer Cells with Induced and De-Induced Cisplatin Resistance to Reveal Metabolic Resistance Adaptations

Cisplatin (cisPt) is an important drug that is used against various cancers, including advanced lung cancer. However, drug resistance is still a major ongoing problem and its investigation is of paramount interest. Here, a high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) NMR study is presented deciphering the metabolic profile of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and metabolic adaptations at different levels of induced cisPt-resistance, as well as in their de-induced counterparts (cells cultivated in absence of cisPt). In total, fifty-three metabolites were identified and quantified in the ¹H-HR-MAS NMR cell spectra. Metabolic adaptations to cisPt-resistance were detected, which correlated with the degree of resistance. Importantly, de-induced cell lines demonstrated similar metabolic adaptations as the corresponding cisPt-resistant cell lines. Metabolites predominantly changed in cisPt resistant cells and their de-induced counterparts include glutathione and taurine. Characteristic metabolic patterns for cisPt resistance may become relevant as biomarkers in cancer medicine.     

Direct Monitoring of γ‐Glutamyl Transpeptidase Activity In Vivo Using a Hyperpolarized 13C‐Labeled Molecular Probe

The γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) enzyme plays a central role in glutathione homeostasis. Direct detection of GGT activity could provide critical information for the diagnosis of several pathologies. We propose a new molecular probe, γ‐Glu‐[1‐¹³C]Gly, for monitoring GGT activity in vivo by hyperpolarized (HP) ¹³C magnetic resonance (MR). The properties of γ‐Glu‐[1‐¹³C]Gly are suitable for in vivo HP ¹³C metabolic analysis since the chemical shift between γ‐Glu‐[1‐¹³C]Gly and its metabolic product, [1‐¹³C]Gly, is large (4.3 ppm) and the T₁ of both compounds is relatively long (30 s and 45 s, respectively, in H₂O at 9.4 T). We also demonstrate that γ‐Glu‐[1‐¹³C]Gly is highly sensitive to in vivo modulation of GGT activity induced by the inhibitor acivicin.     

1H and 13C spectral assignment of 4-aryl-1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-2,7,7,5-oxo-quinolines 3-substituted derivatives

The 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic data for 4-aryl-1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-2,7,7,5-oxo-quinoline 3-substituted derivatives have been fully assigned by the combination of one- and two dimensional experiments (DEPT, HMBC, HMQC, COSY, NOE).     

1H and 13C NMR assignments for two oxaphenalenones bacillosporin C and D from the mangrove endophytic fungus SBE-14

The complete (1)H and (13)C NMR assignments are reported for the novel natural product Bacillosporin D together with the known compound Bacillosporin C. These compounds containing seven rings were isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus SBE-14 from the South China Sea. 1D and 2D NMR experiments, including COSY, HMQC and HMBC were used to the determination of the structures and NMR assignments. It is proposed that 1 was biogenetically produced by transforming 2. Transforming a lactone to an anhydride is unusual in nature.