Name: metabolomic analysis of rat brain by high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of tissue extracts
Uploaded: 2014-09-21T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Metabolomic Analysis of Rat Brain by High Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Tissue Extracts at JoVE.com

Support by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, UMR 6612 and 7339) is gratefully acknowledged.

NOTE: ANIMAL ETHICS STATEMENT 
Animal studies on rats followed the guidelines valid in France, and were approved by the local Ethics Committee (#40.04, University of Aix-Marseille Medical School, Marseille, France).
1. Harvesting and Freezing Rat Brain
<ol>
	<li>Prepare items required: liquid nitrogen (N2liq.) in Dewar that is large enough to keep a freezing clamp (at least 2-3&#160;L volume); anesthetic (e.g., isoflurane, or ketamine/xylazine); anesthesia chamber; s...

<ol>
	<li>Manger, P. R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Is+21st+century+neuroscience+too+focused+on+the+rat/mouse+model+of+brain+function+and+dysfunction.">Is 21st century neuroscience too focused on the rat/mouse model of brain function and dysfunction.</a> Front Neuroanat. 2, 5 (2008).</li><li>Buxbaum, J. D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Optimizing+the+phenotyping+of+rodent+ASD+models+enrichment+analysis+of+mouse+and+human+neurobiological+phenotypes+associated+with+high-risk+autism+genes+identifies+morphological,+electrophysiological,+neurological,+and+behavioral+features.">Optimizing the phenotyping of rodent ASD models enrichment analysis of mouse and human neurobiological phenotypes associated with high-risk autism genes identifies morphological, electrophysiological, neurological, and behavioral features.</a> Mol Autism. 3, 1 (2012).</li><li>Papaioannou, V., Behringer, R. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Mouse Phenotypes A Handbook of Mutation Analysis. , (2004).</li><li>Yu, F. H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reduced+sodium+current+in+GABAergic+interneurons+in+a+mouse+model+of+severe+myoclonic+epilepsy+in+infancy.">Reduced sodium current in GABAergic interneurons in a mouse model of severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy.</a> Nat Neurosci. 9, 1142-1149 (2006).</li><li>Mallolas, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+polymorphism+in+the+EAAT2+promoter+is+associated+with+higher+glutamate+concentrations+and+higher+frequency+of+progressing+stroke.">A polymorphism in the EAAT2 promoter is associated with higher glutamate concentrations and higher frequency of progressing stroke.</a> The Journal of Experimental Medicine. 203, 711-717 (2006).</li><li>Crusio, W. E., Sluyter, F., Gerlai, R. T., Pietropaolo, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Behavioral Genetics of the Mouse Genetics of Behavioral Phenotypes. Vol. 1, (2013).</li><li>Viola, A., Saywell, V., Villard, L., Cozzone, P. J., Lutz, N. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Metabolic+fingerprints+of+altered+brain+growth,+osmoregulation+and+neurotransmission+in+a+Rett+syndrome+model.">Metabolic fingerprints of altered brain growth, osmoregulation and neurotransmission in a Rett syndrome model.</a> PLoS ONE. 2, e157 (2007).</li><li>Lutz, N. W., Sweedler, J. V., Wevers, R. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Methodologies for Metabolomics. , (2013).</li><li>Rabinowitz, J. D., Purdy, J. G., Vastag, L., Shenk, T., Koyuncu, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Metabolomics+in+drug+target+discovery.">Metabolomics in drug target discovery.</a> Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 76, 235-246 (2011).</li><li>Wishart, D. S., Wevers, R. A., Lutz, N. W., Sweedler, J. V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Methodologies for Metabolomics. , (2013).</li><li>Ponten, U., Ratcheson, R. A., Salford, L. G., Siesjo, B. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Optimal+freezing+conditions+for+cerebral+metabolites+in+rats.">Optimal freezing conditions for cerebral metabolites in rats.</a> Journal of Neurochemistry. 21, 1127-1138 (1973).</li><li>Henry, P. G., Oz, G., Provencher, S., Gruetter, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Toward+dynamic+isotopomer+analysis+in+the+rat+brain+in+vivo+automatic+quantitation+of+13C+NMR+spectra+using+LCModel.">Toward dynamic isotopomer analysis in the rat brain in vivo automatic quantitation of 13C NMR spectra using LCModel.</a> NMR Biomed. 16, 400-412 (2003).</li><li>Lutz, N. W., Cozzone, P. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Multiparametric+optimization+of+(31)P+NMR+spectroscopic+analysis+of+phospholipids+in+crude+tissue+extracts+2+Line+width+and+spectral+resolution.">Multiparametric optimization of (31)P NMR spectroscopic analysis of phospholipids in crude tissue extracts 2 Line width and spectral resolution.</a> Anal Chem. 82, 5441-5446 (2010).</li><li>Lutz, N. W., Cozzone, P. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Multiparametric+optimization+of+(31)P+NMR+spectroscopic+analysis+of+phospholipids+in+crude+tissue+extracts.+1.+Chemical+shift+and+signal+separation.">Multiparametric optimization of (31)P NMR spectroscopic analysis of phospholipids in crude tissue extracts. 1. Chemical shift and signal separation.</a> Anal Chem. 82, 5433-5440 (2010).</li><li>Lutz, N. W., Cozzone, P. J., Lutz, N. W., Sweedler, J. V., Wevers, R. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Methodologies for Metabolomics. , (2013).</li><li>Lutz, N. W., Fernandez, C., Pellissier, J. F., Cozzone, P. J., Beraud, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cerebral+biochemical+pathways+in+experimental+autoimmune+encephalomyelitis+and+adjuvant+arthritis+a+comparative+metabolomic+study.">Cerebral biochemical pathways in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and adjuvant arthritis a comparative metabolomic study.</a> PLoS ONE. 8, e56101 (2013).</li><li>Lutz, N. W., Cozzone, P. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Principles+of+multiparametric+optimization+for+phospholipidomics+by+31P+NMR+spectroscopy.">Principles of multiparametric optimization for phospholipidomics by 31P NMR spectroscopy.</a> Biophys Rev. 5, 295-304 (2013).</li><li>Pearson, G. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Shimming an NMR magnet. , (1991).</li><li>Lane, A. N., Fan, T. W. M., Higashi, R. M., Correia, J. J., Detrich, H. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Biophysical tools for biologists. Vol. 1, In vitro techniques, (2008).</li><li>Peeling, J., Wong, D., Sutherland, G. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nuclear+magnetic+resonance+study+of+regional+metabolism+after+forebrain+ischemia+in+rats.">Nuclear magnetic resonance study of regional metabolism after forebrain ischemia in rats.</a> Stroke. 20, 633-640 (1989).</li></ol>

NMR spectroscopy is an efficient method for measuring concentrations of chemical compounds in solution in a very reproducible and accurate manner. However, to obtain high-quality data it is necessary to adhere to certain rules concerning sample preparation and analysis. In the determination of metabolite concentrations by NMR spectroscopy, neither the generation nor the reception of the NMR signal dominates the quantitation error, unless the intensity of an observed signal approaches the detection threshold (particularly...

Murine models have been utilized extensively in brain research1. Genotype-phenotype correlations have been investigated in mouse and rat brains by studying gene expression at the RNA and/or protein levels on the one hand, and morphological, functional, electrophysiological and/or behavioral phenotypes on the other2-6. However, to completely understand the mechanisms linking phenotype to genotype, it is imperative to investigate the molecular events downstream of protein expression, i.e. the metabolism of the biochemical substrates upon which enzymes act7. This requirement led, over the past 10 to 15 years, to a renaissance of metabolic research in many branches of biology8,9. While classical metabolic studies have often been focused on details of specific pathways, the new metabolomic approach is geared towards an all-encompassing investigation of the global metabolic profile of the tissue under consideration. One consequence of this concept is an obvious need for analytical tools that minimize bias towards specific metabolic pathways and/or classes of compounds. However, a classical biochemical assay is based on a particular chemical reaction of a specific analyte that needs to be specified before the assay is performed. By contrast, spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) (i) are based on particular molecular (physical) properties of biochemical compounds, each of which gives rise to one or several distinct signals in a spectrum detected in the course of one experiment; and (ii) detect a large number of different compounds per experiment.
Thus, each spectrum contains the combined information of a whole range of metabolites. For this reason, spectroscopic methods are adequate tools for metabolomics, as no prior selection needs to be made regarding the nature of the analyte to be measured8. As a consequence, these techniques naturally lend themselves to exploratory studies because they greatly facilitate the detection of unexpected metabolic changes.
Although NMR spectroscopy and MS can be used interchangeably for the analysis of many metabolites, each method possesses specific advantages and disadvantages that have recently been reviewed10. Briefly, NMR spectroscopy can usually be performed from crude extracts and does not require chromatographic separation of sample compounds before analysis. By contrast, MS works with gas or liquid chromatography (GC or LC) separation, except for particular recent developments such as mass spectrometry imaging. In a few special cases such as the analysis of sugars, LC separation may become a necessity for NMR spectroscopy as well, because the resonance lines of different sugars overlap significantly in proton (1H) NMR spectra. Nevertheless, 1H NMR spectroscopy without chromatographic separation remains the most popular, almost universally applied metabolomic NMR method. Generally, sample preparation is more time-consuming and complex for MS than it is for NMR spectroscopy. Serious problems due to matrix effects are much less common in NMR spectroscopy than in MS where they may lead to considerably attenuated signals. Metabolite quantitation can be achieved with either method. However, multiple standard compounds are needed for MS due to variations in matrix effects and ionization efficiencies between metabolites. By contrast, only one standard per sample is needed for an NMR spectroscopic analysis because under appropriate measuring conditions, the latter method is intrinsically quantitative thanks to the strictly linear NMR response by the observed nuclei. A major drawback of NMR is its relatively low sensitivity. MS, in particular LC-MS, is more sensitive than NMR by several orders of magnitude; for this reason, MS is to be preferred over NMR for the analysis of compounds occurring at very low concentrations. On the other hand, the nondestructive nature of the NMR experiment is a clear advantage over MS; in this way, NMR can be performed repeatedly on the same sample, e.g., for different NMR-active nuclei such as 1H, phosphorus-31 (31P), carbon-13 (13C), fluorine-19 (19F) etc., as no material is consumed by NMR as opposed to MS measurements.
Both NMR and MS can be employed in different modes, each one being optimal for the detection of compounds with particular chemical characteristics. For instance, 31P NMR is often better suited than 1H NMR for the analysis of moderately concentrated phosphorylated compounds, although almost all phosphorylated metabolites also contain protons. However, their 1H NMR signals may be obscured by 1H NMR signals from other, non-phosphorylated compounds, while the latter obviously do not cause background signals in 31P NMR spectra. In an analog situation, 19F NMR analysis is to be preferred for fluorinated compounds, e.g., fluorinated drugs (no background signals from endogenous metabolites), while the special case of 13C NMR is of interest almost exclusively if the fate of 13C-labeled exogenous metabolic precursors needs to be followed, due to the extremely low natural abundance of the 13C isotope (ca. 1%). Many mass spectrometers work in either negative ion mode or positive ion mode. Therefore, it is important to know ahead of the analysis whether the ions to be observed are negatively or positively charged. We focus here on a protocol for the analysis of the brain tissue metabolome by 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy because this method yields a large number of important metabolite concentrations at low cost in terms of (i) time needed for sample preparation and (ii) effort required for metabolite quantitation. All experiments can be performed using the equipment of a standard wet-chemistry laboratory and a high-resolution NMR spectroscopy facility. Further requirements are described in the Protocol section below.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="921">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:281px;">Isoflurane</td>
			<td style="width:144px;">Virbac</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">Vetflurane</td>
			<td style="width:316px;">Anesthetic for animals</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Isoflurane vaporizer</td>
			<td>Ohmeda</td>
			<td>Isotec 3</td>
			<td>Newer model available: Isotec 4</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Scalpel, scissors, forceps, clamps</td>
			<td>Harvard Apparatus 
			Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>various 
			various</td>
			<td>Surgical equipment for animals</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Freeze-clamp tool</td>
			<td>homebuilt</td>
			<td>n/a</td>
			<td>Tong with aluminium plates, to be inserted 
			in liquid nitrogen for cooling</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Dewar</td>
			<td>Nalgene</td>
			<td>4150-4000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Liquid nitrogen</td>
			<td>Air Liquide</td>
			<td>n/a</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Nitrogen gas</td>
			<td>Air Liquide</td>
			<td>n/a</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Nitrogen evaporator</td>
			<td>Organomation Associates</td>
			<td>N-EVAP 111</td>
			<td>Can be replaced by homebuilt device</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Mortar</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>Z247472</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Pestle</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>Z247510</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Tissue homogenizer</td>
			<td>Kinematica</td>
			<td>Polytron</td>
			<td>With test tubes fitting homogenizer shaft</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Electronic scale</td>
			<td>Sartorius</td>
			<td>n/a</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Methanol</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>M3641</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Chloroform</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>366910</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Glass centrifuge tubes</td>
			<td>Kimble</td>
			<td>45500-15, 45500-30</td>
			<td>Kimax 15-mL, 30-mL tube</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Microcentrifuge tubes</td>
			<td>Kimble</td>
			<td>45150-2</td>
			<td>Kimax 2-mL tube; should replace &#34;Eppen-dorf&#34; tube if compatible with centrifuge rotor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">polystyrene pipettes</td>
			<td>Costar Corning</td>
			<td>Stripettes</td>
			<td>5 and 10-mL volumes</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Deuterochloroform</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>431915</td>
			<td>99.96 % deuterated</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Deuterium oxide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>423459</td>
			<td>99.96 % deuterated</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Deuterium chloride</td>
			<td>Alpha Aesar</td>
			<td>42406</td>
			<td>20 % in deuterium oxide</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Sodium deuteroxide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>164488</td>
			<td>30 % in deuterium oxide</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Lyophilizer</td>
			<td>Christ</td>
			<td>Alpha 1-2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Cold centrifuge</td>
			<td>Heraeus</td>
			<td>Megafuge 16R</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">pH meter</td>
			<td>Eutech Cybernetics</td>
			<td>Cyberscan</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">CDTA</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>D0922</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Cesium hydroxide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>516988</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">NMR tubes</td>
			<td>Wilmad</td>
			<td>528-PP</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">NMR stem coaxial insert</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>Z278513</td>
			<td>By Wilmad</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">NMR pipettes</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>Z255688</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Pipettes</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>Research</td>
			<td>With tips for volumes from 0.5 to 1000 &#956;L</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Pipet-Aid</td>
			<td>Drummond</td>
			<td>XP</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">NMR spectrometer</td>
			<td>Bruker</td>
			<td>AVANCE 400</td>
			<td>including probe and other accessories</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">NMR software</td>
			<td>Bruker</td>
			<td>TopSpin 1.3</td>
			<td>newer version available: Topspin 3.2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Water-soluble standard compounds</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>various</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Phospholipid standard compounds</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids 
			Doosan Serdary 
			Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>various 
			various 
			various</td>
			<td>&#160; 
			Source for plasmalogens, but may be 
			&#60; 70 - 80 % purity</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Methylenediphosphonate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>M9508</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">TSP-d4</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>269913</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

metabolomic analysis of rat brain by high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of tissue extracts

Studies of gene expression on the RNA and protein levels have long been used to explore biological processes underlying disease. More recently, genomics and proteomics have been complemented by comprehensive quantitative analysis of the metabolite pool present in biological systems. This strategy, termed metabolomics, strives to provide a global characterization of the small-molecule complement involved in metabolism. While the genome and the proteome define the tasks cells can perform, the metabolome is part of the actual phenotype. Among the methods currently used in metabolomics, spectroscopic techniques are of special interest because they allow one to simultaneously analyze a large number of metabolites without prior selection for specific biochemical pathways, thus enabling a broad unbiased approach. Here, an optimized experimental protocol for metabolomic analysis by high-resolution NMR spectroscopy is presented, which is the method of choice for efficient quantification of tissue metabolites. Important strengths of this method are (i) the use of crude extracts, without the need to purify the sample and/or separate metabolites; (ii) the intrinsically quantitative nature of NMR, permitting quantitation of all metabolites represented by an NMR spectrum with one reference compound only; and (iii) the nondestructive nature of NMR enabling repeated use of the same sample for multiple measurements. The dynamic range of metabolite concentrations that can be covered is considerable due to the linear response of NMR signals, although metabolites occurring at extremely low concentrations may be difficult to detect. For the least abundant compounds, the highly sensitive mass spectrometry method may be advantageous although this technique requires more intricate sample preparation and quantification procedures than NMR spectroscopy. We present here an NMR protocol adjusted to rat brain analysis; however, the same protocol can be applied to other tissues with minor modifications.

To obtain best resolution in metabolic NMR spectra of brain and other tissue extracts, it has long been common practice to remove or mask metal ions (most importantly: paramagnetic ions) present in extract solutions. This has been achieved either by adding a chelating agent such as EDTA or CDTA to the extract19, or by passing the extract through an ion exchange resin such as Chelex-10020. The results presented in Figure 1 demonstrate that this step is not necessary for 1H...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Metabolomic Analysis of Rat Brain by High Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Tissue Extracts at JoVE.com

Metabolomic Analysis of Rat Brain by High Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Tissue Extracts

The neurochemistry of mammalian brain is changed in many neurological and systemic diseases. Characteristic profiles of cerebral metabolites can be efficiently obtained based on crude extracts of brain tissue. To this end, high-resolution NMR spectroscopy is employed, enabling detailed quantitative analysis of metabolite concentrations (metabolomics).

Studies of gene expression on the RNA and protein levels have long been used to explore biological processes underlying disease. More recently, genomics ...

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The Use of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy as a Tool for the Measurement of Bi-hemispheric Transcranial Electric Stimulation Effects on Primary Motor Cortex Metabolism

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique that has been increasingly used over the past decade in the treatment of ...

High-resolution In Vivo Manual Segmentation Protocol for Human Hippocampal Subfields Using 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging

High-resolution In Vivo Manual Segmentation Protocol for Human Hippocampal Subfields Using 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The human hippocampus has been broadly studied in the context of memory and normal brain function and its role in different neuropsychiatric disorders has ...

High-resolution Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Human Subcortex In Vivo and Postmortem

High-resolution Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Human Subcortex In Vivo and Postmortem

The focus of this study was to test the resolution limits of structural MRI of a postmortem brain compared to living human brains. The resolution of ...

Functional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at 7 T in the Rat Barrel Cortex During Whisker Activation

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy offers the opportunity to measure cerebral metabolite contents in vivo and noninvasively. Thanks to ...

High-Resolution 3D Imaging of Rabies Virus Infection in Solvent-Cleared Brain Tissue

The visualization of infection processes in tissues and organs by immunolabeling is a key method in modern infection biology. The ability to observe and ...

Preparation of Newborn Rat Brain Tissue for Ultrastructural Morphometric Analysis of Synaptic Vesicle Distribution at Nerve Terminals

Our laboratory and many others have exploited the high resolving power of transmission electron microscopy to study the morphology and spatial ...

A Hydrophobic Tissue Clearing Method for Rat Brain Tissue

Hydrophobic tissue clearing methods are easily adjustable, fast, and low-cost procedures that allows for the study of a molecule of interest in unaltered ...