In vivo one-dimensional imaging of phosphorus metabolites by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance.

A phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance imaging technique has been used to obtain information on phosphorus metabolites from different spatial regions of tissues in vivo. The technique for selection of planes through the tissue is based on phase-encoding of spin echoes and was used to obtain one-dimensional discrimination of phosphorus-31 spectra from different parts of the tissue simultaneously. Specimens were resolved into 16 distinct slices and a signal-to-noise ratio of about 20 to 1 was obtained in 1/2 hour. Results are presented for phantoms, rat legs, and gerbil heads.