Detection of ¹³C-labeled metabolites in the in vivo canine heart by B₁ insensitive heteronuclear coherent polarization transfer and comparison of signal enhancement with NOE

A recently developed adiabatic coherent polarization transfer enhancement technique [H. Merkle, H. Wel, M. Garwood, K. Ugurhil. J. Magn. Reson. 99, 480-494 (1992)] was employed to perform ¹³C spectroscopy in the intact canine heart in vive during [2-¹³C]-acetate infusion into the left descending coronary artery; the results were compared with ¹³C spectra obtained with conventionally employed nuclear Overhauser enhancement. The results demonstrate that both methods can be performed by using surface coils to obtain in vive ¹³C spectra and that coherent polarization transfer provides better enhancement than NOE for [2-¹³C]-acetate but not for short T₂ compounds.