Noninvasive NMR/MRS Metabolic Parameters to Evaluate Metabolic Syndrome in Rats

Khin Thandar Htun; Krit Jaikumkao; Jie Pan; Aye Thidar Moe Moe; Nuttawadee Intachai; Sasivimon Promsan; Anusorn Lungkaphin; Monruedee Tapanya; Duanghathai Pasanta; Montree Tungjai; Siriprapa Kaewjaeng; Hong Joo Kim; Jakrapong Kaewkhao; Christopher Lai; Suchart Kothan

doi:10.3390/diagnostics12071621

Noninvasive NMR/MRS Metabolic Parameters to Evaluate Metabolic Syndrome in Rats

Diagnostics (Basel). 2022 Jul 4;12(7):1621. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics12071621.

Authors

Khin Thandar Htun¹, Krit Jaikumkao¹, Jie Pan^{1

2}, Aye Thidar Moe Moe¹, Nuttawadee Intachai¹, Sasivimon Promsan³, Anusorn Lungkaphin³, Monruedee Tapanya¹, Duanghathai Pasanta¹, Montree Tungjai¹, Siriprapa Kaewjaeng¹, Hong Joo Kim⁴, Jakrapong Kaewkhao⁵, Christopher Lai⁶, Suchart Kothan¹

Affiliations

¹ Center of Radiation Research and Medical Imaging, Department of Radiologic Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
² Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistant Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China.
³ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Physics, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea.
⁵ Center of Excellence in Glass Technology and Materials Science (CEGM), Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, Nakhon Pathom 73000, Thailand.
⁶ Health and Social Science Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, 10 Dover Drive, Singapore 138683, Singapore.

Abstract

(1) Background: Ectopic fat deposition and its effects, metabolic syndrome, have been significantly correlated to lifestyle and caloric consumption. There is no specific noninvasive evaluation tool being used in order to establish clinical markers for tracing the metabolic pathway implicated in obesity-related abnormalities that occur in the body as a result of a high-fat diet (HFD). The purpose of this work is to investigate in vivo ectopic fat distribution and in vitro metabolite profiles given by HFDs, as well as how they are inter-related, in order to find surrogate metabolic biomarkers in the development of metabolic syndrome utilizing noninvasive approaches. (2) Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into a standard normal chow diet, ND group, and HFD group. After 16 weeks of different diet administration, blood samples were collected for proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) and biochemical analysis. Magnetic resonance imaging/proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRI/¹H MRS) was performed on the abdomen, liver, and psoas muscle of the rats. (3) Results: Visceral fat showed the strongest relationship with blood cholesterol. Although liver fat content (LFC) was not associated with any biophysical profiles, it had the highest correlation with metabolites such as (-CH₂)_n very-low-density lipoprotein/low-density lipoprotein (VLDL/LDL), lactate, and N-acetyl glycoprotein of serum ¹H NMR. HFD showed no obvious influence on muscle fat accumulation. Acetoacetate, N-acetyl glycoprotein, lactate, (-CH₂)_n VLDL/LDL, and valine were the five possible metabolic biomarkers used to differentiate HFD from ND in the present study. (4) Conclusions: Our study has validated the influence of long-term HFD-induced ectopic fat on body metabolism as well as the metabolic profile deterioration both in vivo and in vitro.

Keywords: 1H MRS; 1H NMR; HFD; MRI; metabolic syndrome.

Grants and funding

The research was funded by the Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, and partially supported by Chiang Mai University (R000030589).