Comparative Evaluation of Hyperpolarized [¹³C]pyruvate and [¹³C]lactate for Imaging Neuronal and Glioma Metabolism.

ABSTRACT: Glucose and lactate are primary substrates in cerebral energy metabolism. Hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]pyruvate has become a powerful imaging agent for metabolic neuroimaging due to its central role in glucose and lactate metabolism, ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, and translational utility in neurological disorders. In particular, [1-¹³C]pyruvate enables an assessment of mitochondrial metabolism in the cerebral cortex through its conversion to [¹³C]bicarbonate. While it is not yet confirmed that production of [¹³C]bicarbonate primarily reflects neuronal metabolism, the higher affinity of neuronal transporters for lactate over pyruvate has motivated interest in hyperpolarized lactate as a more physiologic probe of neuronal metabolism. Here, we

SUBMITTER: Chen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12764352 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature