Use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to Study the Effects of Ethanol Consumption on Liver Metabolism and Pathology

Abstract

The application of NMR spectroscopy to studies of intact organs represents a powerful technology applicable for investigations of alcohol-induced liver disease in animal models. NMR-assisted studies of ethanol metabolism and its related pathology are now possible utilizing the 13C and 31P nuclei primarily. The major advantage of the technology includes the capacity to investigate biochemical processes at the level of the intact organ which is analyzed as a perfused preparation or in situ in an anesthetized animal model. Quantitative measurements of compounds containing either 31P or 13C nuclei are possible, and the kinetics of precursor incorporation into compounds associated with carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism are readily followed. The concentrations of free Mg2+ and the pH of the intact liver can be monitored as a function of external perturbation and/or metabolic disturbances.