Probing Metabolite Compartmentalization in the Mouse Brain with Hyperpolarized Diffusion-weighted Imaging

Motivation: The diffusion-weighted, multi-shot, multi-echo EPI sequence shows promise in reducing geometric distortions, thereby enhancing accuracy in metabolite compartmentalization. Goal(s): Establish the feasibility of utilizing DWI, multi-shot, multi-echo EPI sequence to differentiate metabolite compartmentalization in mouse brain tissues. Approach: We quantified the proportion of extracellular species in healthy mouse brain. Results: Pyruvate is more extracellularly weighted, while lactate shows a greater intracellular weighting in the healthy mouse brain. Impact: The application of a diffusion-weighted, multi-shot, multi-echo EPI sequence to differentiate metabolite compartmentalization in the brains of healthy mice, indicating the capability of the method to provide deeper insights into cellular metabolic processes and mechanisms of transport.