Visualization of Brain Metabolic Changes in Ulcerative Colitis Model Mice Using Hyperpolarized 13C MRI with PHIP-SAH Technique.

Motivation: Psychiatric disorders induced by ulcerative colitis are difficult to assess with conventional 1H MRI. Goal(s): Our goal was to detect ulcerative colitis-induced psychiatric disorders as brain metabolic alteration. Approach: Parahydrogen-polarized 13C MRI of pyruvate metabolism was applied in the brain of DSS-induced ulcerative colitis model mice. Results: Hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate MRI revealed the decrease in the glycolytic metabolic flux from pyruvate to lactate in the brain of 5 days 2% DSS-treated mice, which was correlated with diminished metabolic enzymes expression and behavioral abnormalities observed in open-field test, Y-maze test, and tail-suspension test. Impact: Non-invasively detectable alteration of brain pyruvate metabolism by parahydrogen-polarized 13C MRI in ulcerative colitis mice can be a useful biomarker of depression and cognitive impairments induced by inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis.