Abstract
31-P NMR spectroscopy allows noninvasive measurements of phosphorus containing oxidative metabolites (ATP), phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate (Pi), and phosphorylated monoester (PME). We used 31-P NMR to study cortical metabolism in 7 asphyxiated infants (mean gestational age (GA) 32 wks, birth weight (BW) 1430 gms). Although they had perinatal asphyxia, their neurologic and head ultra sound exams were normal at the time of spectroscopy (mean 27 D). One infant (BW 1400 gms, GA 30 wks) was studied postmortem. Babies were stabilized in an isolette and placed into a 1.9Tsuperconducting magnet. Four hundred spectra were obtained over 20 min from the left temporal-parietal region. Human newborn cortical 31-P NMR spectra had large amounts of PME (>7m mole/kg fw); a high ratio of PME/ATP (1.60±.055); low phosphate potential, PCr/Pi (2.22±.95), pH = 7.1±.2. These results differ from newborn gerbils and mature dogs in which PME is small, PME/ATP 1.0, and PCr/Pi 7.5. In the postmortem baby, PME was present in equal concentrations, but PCr and ATP had been depleted. We have previously suggested that PME is primarily a sugar phosphate (G-6-P, R-5-P); however, its presence after death suggests that it is not metabolically active and probably represents either phosphoryl choline or phosphoryl ethanolamine which may be present for later myelin synthesis. PCr normally serves as a reservoir for rapid conversion to ATP; the low PCr concentration in human newborns suggests that they have little metabolic reserve and consequently may be more vulnerable to cerebral hypoxia/ischemia. (NIH T35-HD-07217-1OA1 & NIH-HD-15973-01)
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Younkin, D., Delivoria-Papadopoulos, M., Subramanian, H. et al. STUDIES OF CORTICAL METABOLITES IN POST-ASPHYXIATED NEWBORN INFANTS. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 357 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01583
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01583