In vivo MRS assessment of altered fatty acyl unsaturation in liver tumor formation of a TGFα/c-myc transgenic mouse model

Abstract

Current detection methods (computed tomography, ultrasound, and MRI) for hepatocarcinogenesis in humans rely on visual confirmation of neoplastic formations. A more effective early detection method is needed. Using in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), we show that alterations in the integral ratios of the bis-allyl to vinyl hydrogen protons in unsaturated lipid fatty acyl groups correlate with the development of neoplastic formations in vivo in a TGFα/c-myc mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model. HPLC analysis of the TGFα/c-myc mice liver tissue revealed a significant increase in the amount of oleic acid, along with alterations in linoleic and γ-linolenic acids, as compared wit..