Development and application of dynamic MRSI of an HP neuroprotective agent in an MCAO mouse model of ischemic stroke at 14.1 T

Advanced acquisition hardware and sequences boosting the spatiotemporal resolution overcome the existing limitations of HP metabolic MRI in animal disease models, providing new contrasts and opening up new perspectives. Herein, we designed a 1H/13C volume/surface-combined head coil providing full mouse brain coverage with high sensitivity, as well as a high-efficiency acquisition scheme to achieve superior spatial and temporal resolution images. This setup was employed for time-resolved imaging of the cerebral metabolic response to a neuroprotective bolus of hyperpolarized pyruvate in a transient hypoxia/ischemia mouse model. The experiments suggest a distinct metabolism between the ischemic and healthy tissues.