Correlation between 31P NMR phosphomonoester and biochemically determined phosphorylethanolamine and phosphatidylethanolamine during development of the rat brain.

Phosphomonoesters were measured in the developing rat brain by in vivo and in vitro 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and by classical biochemical methods. In vitro NMR showed that the main component of the phosphomonoester peak is phosphorylethanolamine. Phosphomonoesters measured by in vivo NMR decreased during development at the same rate as the biochemically estimated phosphorylethanolamine. Phosphorylethanolamine, a precursor of the membrane lipid phosphatidylethanolamine, decreased during development parallel to an increase of the lipid phosphatidylethanolamine, which was measured biochemically. These studies show that 31P NMR can be used to monitor brain development in vivo.