A study of galactose intolerance in human and rat liver in vivo by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

An oral load of 20 mg/kg galactose produces significant changes in the 31P magnetic resonance spectrum of the liver of a galactosemic patient. The peak at 5.2 ppm (which includes inorganic phosphate and galactose-1-phosphate) increased on two occasions to about twice its original size 60 min after galactose administration. An oral load of 10 mg/kg galactose given to a second patient produced no discernible changes at 30 min. We have also used an animal model of galactose intolerance, in which galactose metabolism in rats was blocked by the acute administration of ethanol. Studies in vivo and in vitro showed that the increase in the peak at 5.2 ppm was largely due to galactose-1-phosphate. We have shown in this preliminary study that small amounts of galactose can produce significant elevation of hepatic galactose-1-phosphate, which can be detected by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy.