The relative concentrations of inorganic phosphate and phosphomonoesters (PME) of 18 human cadaveric kidneys stored in Euro-Collins perfusion solution were measured by 31P MR spectroscopy. The signals of intracellular inorganic phosphate (Pjj) and inorganic phosphate contained in the perfusion solution (Pje) were separated by the deconvolution technique. The ratio of the signal intensities of phosphomonoesters and intracellular inorganic phosphate (Pme/Pü) was used as a marker of kidney viability and correlated with kidney function after transplantation. Separation of the Pjj and Pje signals in the measured spectra was successful in 72 % of kidneys. The results of MR analysis satisfactorily agree in 78 % with the post-transplant function of kidneys.
A group of 14 healthy female subjects was studied using MRI during 2 months of life-style intervention. A series of 21 water-suppressed images was used to determine the intra-abdominal fat volume before and after the controlled loss of weight. The average weight decrease was 8.2 %, but the average relative loss of visceral fat was 20.3 %, whereas subcutaneous fat decreased by 13.4 %. A small but significant increase of insulin sensitivity (decrease in fasting insulin and blood glucose) was observed, but no changes in lipoprotein parameters were demonstrated. There was a significant negative correlation (r=–0.633, p=0.028) between the relative abdominal fat decrease and the initial amount of subcutaneous fat.