Three-dimensional 87Rb imaging of isolated pig hearts: effects of regional ischemia

Monitoring of brain potassium with rubidium flame photometry and MRI

An animal model was developed to monitor [K(+)] in the brain using partial K(+) replacement with Rb(+) and (87)Rb MRI. Fifty-one rats were given 0-80 mM of RbCl in the drinking water for up to 90 days. Focal cerebral ischemia was produced in 15 of the animals. Na, K, and Rb content in precision-guided submilligram samples of cortical brain were determined by emission flame photometry. Multinuclear (87)Rb/(23)Na/(1)H MRI was performed on phantoms and rats at 3T using a twisted projection imaging (TPI) scheme for (87)Rb/(23)Na, and custom-built surface or parallel cosine transmit/receive coils. Brain [Rb(+)] was safely brought up to 17-25 mEq/kg within 2-3 weeks of feeding. The characteristic patterns of [K(+)] decrease (with a sharp drop at 3-4 hr of ischemia) and [Na(+)] increase (at a rate of 31%/hr) observed previously in animals without Rb/K substitution were reproduced in ischemic cortex. The Rb/(Rb+K) ratio increased over time in ischemic areas (R = 0.91, P < 0.001), suggesting an additional index of ischemia progression. Preliminary (87)Rb MRI gave an estimate of 20-25 mEq Rb/kg brain weight (N = 2). In conclusion, brain Rb(+) is detectable by (87)Rb MRI and does not significantly interfere with ion dynamics in ischemic brain, which enables (87)Rb MRI studies of K(+) in ischemia.

Rubidium-87 magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging for analysis of mammalian K+ transport

This review summarizes results 87Rb MRS/I studies of K+ transport in mammalian cells, organs and in vivo. It provides a brief description of K+ transport systems, their interactions with Rb+ and evidence that Rb+ is a best K+ congener. 87Rb MR studies have focused mostly on isolated perfused rat and pig hearts and to a lesser extent on kidney, skeletal muscle, salivary gland and red blood cells. The method has been used for three purposes: measurements of kinetics of unidirectional Rb+ uptake and efflux and steady-state Rb+ levels. In cardiovascular studies Rb+ has been used in the absence of shift reagent taking advantage of the predominantly intracellular Rb+/K+ distribution (approximately 20:1). Pharmacological analysis of Rb+ uptake and efflux allowed assessment of the contributions of various transporters to the total Rb+ fluxes in rat hearts. It was confirmed that Na+/K+ ATPase is responsible for the majority of K+ influx since Rb+ uptake is 80% ouabain-sensitive and dependent on the intracellular [Na+]. Energy deprivation caused by low-flow ischemia or metabolic inhibition reduced Rb+ uptake rate. Under normal conditions, Rb+ efflux is mediated mainly by voltage-gated K+ channels with a small contribution from the K+/Na+/2Cl- cotransporter. Intracellular alkalosis and osmotic swelling stimulated Rb+ efflux by activation of the putative K+/H+ antiporter. Activity of ATP-sensitive K+ (K(ATP)) channels was revealed by metabolic (2,4-dinitrophenol, ischemia) or pharmacological (K(ATP) opener, P-1075) stimulation of Rb+ efflux, which was reversed by the K(ATP) blocker, glibenclamide. Mitochondrial K+ transport was evaluated in hearts with saponin-permeabilized myocytes and under hypothermic conditions.Three-dimensional (3-D) spectroscopic MRI of isolated beating pig hearts has been used to obtain time series of Rb+ maps of normal and ischemic/infarcted hearts, which showed lower image intensity in the damaged area. Kinetics of Rb+ uptake in the ischemic areas depended on both regional flow and metabolism. The adrenergic agonist dobutamine stimulated Rb+ uptake in normal areas and did not affect uptake in ischemic areas. Drugs that may affect passive Rb+ transport (bumetanide, pinacidil, glibenclamide) did not change Rb+ uptake either in the normal or ischemic zones. 87Rb-MRI was also able to localize ischemia and infarction in blood-perfused hearts. 87Rb MRS/I is an excellent non-invasive research tool for studies of K+ transport in isolated organs and in vivo.

Effects of regional hypoxia and acidosis on Rb(+) uptake and energetics in isolated pig hearts: (87)Rb MRI and (31)P MR spectroscopic study

The study compared the effects of regional hypoxia and acidosis on Rb(+) uptake and energetics in isolated pig hearts perfused by the Langendorff method. The left anterior descending artery (LAD) was cannulated and the LAD bed was perfused with the same specific flow as the whole heart. Following equilibration with normal Krebs-Henseleit buffer (KHB, pO(2) 568 mm Hg, pH 7.42) the perfusate was switched to one that contained Rb(+) (Rb-KHB). Simultaneously, perfusion through the LAD was carried out with hypoxic (pO(2)=31 mm Hg), an acidemic (pH 7.12) or normal (pO(2)=550 mm Hg) Rb-KHB for 120 min. (87)Rb images of the entire heart or localized (31)P spectra from the left ventricular anterior wall were acquired. Hypoxia decreased the maximal (87)Rb image intensity and Rb(+) flux in the anterior wall to 79+/-9% and 85+/-7%, respectively, of that in the posterior wall. Extracellular acidosis did not affect (87)Rb image intensity and reduced Rb(+) flux (83+/-10%). During hypoxia phosphocreatine and ATP decreased to 36+/-10 and 50+/-15% of baseline, respectively and intracellular pH (pHi) decreased to 6.90+/-0.05. Extracellular acidosis did not affect the phosphocreatine or ATP levels but reduced pHi (7.06+/-0.18 vs. 7.26+/-0.06 in control). We suggest that intracellular acidosis plays a role in the inhibition of Rb(+) uptake during hypoxia.

Effects of flow and energy metabolism on injury and Rb(+) uptake in pig hearts: an (87)Rb and (31)P NMR study

In this work the roles of coronary flow (CF) and metabolism in Rb(+) (K(+) congener) uptake were studied. In isolated pig hearts the left anterior descending artery (LAD) was cannulated to maintain adequate perfusion of the LAD bed. Rb(+) loading was initiated and the LAD flow was either completely stopped (no flow (NF)) or reduced to 12% (low flow (LF)), or buffer was deoxygenated without change in flow (hypoxic flow (HYP)) for 2 h. CF through the LAD was then restored to normal, or perfusion was switched to oxygenated buffer. Serial (87)Rb MR images or localized (31)P spectra were acquired to compare the Rb(+) uptake and energetics in the left ventricular (LV) anterior (ischemic/hypoxic) and posterior (normal) walls. End-ischemic/hypoxic (87)Rb signal intensities in the anterior wall were higher and the fluxes were greater in the HYP and LF groups than in the NF group. Phosphocreatine and ATP decreased less significantly and recovered better in the HYP and LF groups. Upon reperfusion/reoxygenation, the HYP and LF groups showed higher (87)Rb signal intensities and smaller or no infarctions in the anterior wall compared to those in the NF group. Ischemia reduces Rb(+) uptake due to both flow limitations and metabolic inhibition of cellular transport. (87)Rb MRI has a potential for distinguishing necrotic and reversibly damaged tissue.

Noninvasive assessment of cardiac ischemic injury using (87)Rb and (23)Na MR imaging, (31)P MR, and optical spectroscopy

The aim of the study was to compare and analyze different noninvasive indices of cell damage in the isolated pig heart model of regional ischemia. We used (23)Na and (87)Rb MR imaging to evaluate Na(+)/K(+) balance, (31)P MR spectroscopy to measure energetics, and optical spectroscopy to assess oxymyoglobin (MbO(2)). Hearts were subjected to 120-min occlusion of the left anterior descending artery and were then reperfused for 120 min. Reperfusion resulted in an increase in (23)Na (37 +/- 18% of the posterior wall) and decrease in (87)Rb (55 +/- 15%) image intensities, partial recovery of PCr, ATP, the total phosphates, and MbO(2) in the anterior wall. The above changes are consistent with the irreversible cell damage in the anterior wall, confirmed by lack of staining with triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Changes in Na(+) and Rb(+) in the infarct area inversely correlated and their ratio is a more sensitive index of cell injury than either of them alone.

Effects of ischemia on intracellular rubidium in pig and rat hearts: (87)Rb NMR imaging and spectroscopic study

87Rb MR imaging and spectroscopy were used to study the effects of ischemia on the properties of K(+) in cardiac tissue. Isolated pig and rat hearts perfused by the Langendorff method with Krebs-Henseleit buffer were preloaded with Rb(+). Ischemia (Isc) was induced by 120-min occlusion of the left anterior descending artery in the pig hearts or by stopping perfusion for 33 min in the rat hearts. Serial (87)Rb MR images or spectra from the anterior (An) LV wall of pig hearts were acquired continuously. The intensities of the Rb images of the An and posterior (Pos) walls were similar and stable during the first 45 min of ischemia. The intensity of signal from the An wall (Isc) then gradually increased by 60 +/- 8% relative to the preischemic value (vs. 31 +/- 5% increase in Pos wall) and necrosis (19 +/- 5% of the LV wall mass) developed upon reperfusion. The Rb(+) content was lower in the ischemic (An) than in the normal (Pos) area (22.3 +/- 3 vs. 28.4 +/- 1.3 mmol/g wet wt). A similar pattern was observed in the peak heights of (87)Rb spectra from the An wall, which increased by 40 +/- 16% (vs. 21 +/- 11% in control) due to a 12% decrease in the apparent Rb linewidth (LW) and a 24 +/- 14% increase in the peak area. The Rb peak comprised narrow (297 +/- 21 Hz) and broad (1098 +/- 40 Hz, 59 +/- 3% of total area) Lorentzian components. The LW of the broad component decreased by 14%, while the narrow component did not change markedly. In the rat hearts ischemia caused a 33 +/- 4% increase in the (87)Rb peak height as a result of peak narrowing (13 +/- 1%), and an increase in peak area (17 +/- 5%). The decreases in LW and increases in Rb(+) visibility can be explained by an increase in Rb(+) mobility caused by displacement of Rb(+) from anionic binding sites by H(+) (ischemic acidosis) and changes in intracellular compartmentalization of Rb(+). Magn Reson Med 44:193-200, 2000.

Three-dimensional (87)Rb NMR imaging and spectroscopy of K(+) fluxes in normal and postischemic pig hearts

K(+) uptake rates were measured in the anterior (An) and posterior (Pos) LV walls of pig hearts before and after regional ischemia and reperfusion using Rb(+) as a K(+) congener and 3D (87)Rb NMR imaging and spectroscopy as detection methods. The hearts were perfused by the Langendorff method with Krebs-Henseleit (KH) buffer and loaded with Rb(+) (4.7 mM, Rb-KH) after 120-min ischemia and 60-min reperfusion. A second protocol involved Rb(+) loading prior to ischemia. Ischemia was produced by occlusion of the left anterior descending artery, which after 110 min of reperfusion resulted in infarction in the An wall (24 +/- 6% of the LV mass) determined by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. At the end of reperfusion pressure-rate product and oxygen consumption rate decreased to 58 +/- 10 and 74 +/- 4% of their preischemic values, respectively. Phosphocreatine, ATP, and intracellular pH (pHi), measured by (31)P NMR spectroscopy in the infarcted area, decreased to 59 +/- 17, 32 +/- 6%, and 6.7 +/- 0.36 (from 7.05 +/- 0.13), respectively. Serial (87)Rb images were acquired according to both protocols. Rate constants (k x 10(3), min(-1)), relative amount of intracellular Rb(+) (A, %) and relative fluxes (F = kA, %/min) for the An and Pos walls were determined from the images. Before ischemia, F and k were comparable in the Pos and An walls. Ischemia + reperfusion decreased F in the An wall (from 4.4 +/- 0.3 to 1.4 +/- 0.85) due to a decrease in A (20 vs. 73) and increased F in Pos wall (from 3.2 +/- 0.6 to 6.6 +/- 0.23) due to an increase in k (from 42 +/- 3 to 93 +/- 6). The intensities of the Rb images correlated with the Rb(+) content measured in tissue samples. Magn Reson Med 44:83-91, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Measurements of mitochondrial K+ fluxes in whole rat hearts using 87Rb-NMR

The rubidium efflux from hypothermic rat hearts perfused by the Langendorff method at 20 degreesC was studied. At this temperature 87Rb-NMR efflux experiments showed the existence of two 87Rb pools: cytoplasmic and mitochondrial. Rat heart mitochondria showed a very slow exchange of mitochondrial Rb+ for cytoplasmic K+. After washout of cytosolic Rb+, mitochondria kept a stable Rb+ level for >30 min. Rb+ efflux from mitochondria was stimulated with 0.1 mM 2, 4-dinitrophenol (DNP), by sarcolemmal permeabilization and concomitant cellular energy depletion by saponin (0.01 mg/ml for 4 min) in the presence of a perfusate mimicking intracellular conditions, or by ATP-sensitive K (KATP) channel openers. DNP, a mitochondrial uncoupler, caused the onset of mitochondrial Rb+ exchange; however, the washout was not complete (80 vs. 56% in control). Energy deprivation by saponin, which permeabilizes the sarcolemma, resulted in a rapid and complete Rb+ efflux. The mitochondrial Rb+ efflux rate constant (k) decreased in the presence of glibenclamide, a KATP channel inhibitor (5 microM; k = 0.204 +/- 0.065 min-1; n = 8), or in the presence of ATP plus phosphocreatine (1.0 and 5.0 mM, respectively; k = 0.134 +/- 0.021 min-1; n = 4) in the saponin experiments (saponin only; k = 0.321 +/- 0.079 min-1; n = 3), indicating the inhibition of mitochondrial KATP channels. Thus hypothermia in combination with 87Rb-NMR allowed the probing of the mitochondrial K+ pool in whole hearts without mitochondrial isolation.