Carbon-13 magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Problems and promise.

Carbon-13 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C MRS) is being used to investigate metabolism in the brain, liver, heart, and skeletal muscle of animals. The tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, hepatic ketogenesis, and metabolism of ethanol are some of the metabolic processes amenable to 13C MRS. Clinical investigation using 13C in humans will become widespread as improvements in sensitivity, localization, enrichment, and decoupling are realized. Carbon-13 MRS offers potential as a new investigative probe into organ physiology.