In vitro high resolution proton magnetic resonance study of human cerebellar development during the period from the fetus to childhood.

In the development of the human cerebellum, the intracellular metabolites were monitored during the period from the fetus to childhood by in vitro high resolution proton (1H) magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy. The spectra from fetus (15-30 post-menstrual weeks; n = 3), infant (1-24 months of age; n = 6) and child (7-14 years of age; n = 5) groups showed resonances from seventeen different metabolites. The level of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), one of the metabolites, was observed in age-dependent increases, two- and three-fold increases for infant and child groups from the NAA of the fetus group, respectively. The rapid increases in the creatine (Cre) level (approximately three-fold) in the fetus and infant groups were observed in the child group (approximately four-fold). Taurine (Tau) was noted at the highest concentration in the fetus group. Slight increases in concentrations of alanine, glutamate, glutamine, and glycine and a significant increase in the concentration of N-acetylaspartylglutamate were also noted in the fetus and infant groups. Other metabolite concentrations did not change significantly throughout the studied age groups. These findings indicate that synthesis of metabolites, especially of NAA and Cre, during the development of the cerebellum are closely correlated with mitochondrial energy metabolism, and as such, may reflect mitochondrial integrity in the cerebellum.