Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Human Healthy and Neoplastic Renal Tissues

Abstract

High-resolution multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) (1H, 13C, and 31P) has been applied for the first time to the study of the biochemical composition of human healthy and neoplastic renal tissues. Thirteen healthy renal tissues, thirteen renal cell carcinomas, and five oncocytomas were examined. From each sample two types of extract were obtained: the water-soluble fraction and the lipid fraction. 1H MRS of aqueous extracts yielded information on renal osmolytes which can be considered markers of physiological renal function. The decrease or the disappearance of these osmolytes and the appearance of glycine in renal cell carcinomas is a hallmark of cancer. The oncocytomas, benign tumors, appear to have a biochemical composition in between healthy and malignant tissue. Further information can be derived from the 13C MR analysis of the lipid fraction: cholesteryl esters, present in high amounts in renal cell carcinomas, are related to the vascularization degree of the tumor. Other correlations between the spectroscopic results and the histopathological data are reported.