Hyperpolarized [5- 13 C,4,4- 2 H 2 ,5- 15 N]-L-glutamine provides a means of annotating in vivo metabolic utilization of glutamine

Abstract

Significance Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in human plasma, although it is challenging to determine glutamine’s metabolic fate noninvasively. In this work, we utilize established chemical methods to develop a platform for imaging glutamine metabolism using hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging. Using this strategy, we are able to spatially measure glutaminolysis in vivo as well as develop a biomarker for the inhibition of glutaminase. Combining this biomarker with isotope tracing metabolomics connects this inhibition to reduced glutamine contribution to the tricarboxylic acid cycle. This provides an approach for future imaging of glutamine metabolism in humans.