In vivo proton MR spectroscopy of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in a multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 conditional knockout mouse model.

PURPOSE: MR spectroscopy (MRS) can improve diagnosis and follow treatment in cancer. However, no study has yet reported application of in vivo (1)H-MRS in malignant pancreatic lesions. This study quantitatively determined whether in vivo (1)H-MRS on multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (Men1) conditional knockout (KO) mice and their wild type (WT) littermates could detect differences in total choline (tCho) levels between tumor and control pancreas.
METHODS: Relative tCho levels in pancreatic tumors or pancreata from KO and WT mice were determined using in vivo (1)H-MRS at 9.4 T. The levels of Cho-containing compounds were also quantified using in vitro (1)H-NMR on extracts of pancreatic tissues from KO and WT mice, respectively, and on extracts of pancreatic tissues from patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs).
RESULTS: tCho levels measured by in vivo (1)H-MRS were significantly higher in PNETs from KO mice compared to the normal pancreas from WT mice. The elevated choline-containing compounds were also identified in pancreatic tumors from KO mice and tissues from patients with PNETs via in vitro (1)H-NMR.
CONCLUSION: These results indicate the potential use of tCho levels estimated via in vivo (1)H-MRS in differentiating malignant pancreatic tumors from benign tumors.