MR spectra using a STEAM sequence were acquired from a rectangular voxel in lumbar SC of rats and mice, after a two-step shim procedure.
In addition to total choline (tCho) and total creatine (tCr), seven and eleven metabolites were reliably detected in rats and mice, respectively. No significant differences were observed in metabolite concentrations or spectral characteristics between species.
Identification and quantification of major metabolites including the neurotransmitters γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine (Gly) in the SC was successful in both rat and mice showing that investigation of SC neurochemical profiles is feasible in both species.