MRI and Stable Isotope Tracer Studies for Detecting the Progression of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

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STUDY 1: Functional and Metabolic Parameters in participants with NAFLD Participants will undertake two study visits, within a 14-day period. One of the visits will involve MR assessments that will take up to three hours in total. The second visit will involve a postprandial study day using stable i...

STUDY 1: Functional and Metabolic Parameters in participants with NAFLD Participants will undertake two study visits, within a 14-day period. One of the visits will involve MR assessments that will take up to three hours in total. The second visit will involve a postprandial study day using stable isotopes. Baseline samples will be taken from participants, and after they have been fed a standardised test meal to assess whole-body and liver specific postprandial metabolism - this visit will last up to eight hours. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Spectroscopy (MRS) and stable isotope labelling are two methodologies to investigate in vivo metabolism and function non-invasively. MRI gives information about liver structure and tissue composition, and heart function. MRS can also evaluate tissue energetics and composition using spectroscopy. Stable isotope-labelling studies allow for the measurement of whole-body fatty acid oxidation and de-novo lipogenesis in the pre- and post-prandial state. These two methodologies will be used in our study to evaluate participants with different severity of NAFLD and could help elucidate how the disease progresses. STUDY 2: MRI evaluation of L-carnitine In parallel to study 1, the physiological response to L-carnitine (50 mg/kg i.v.) will be investigated only in healthy participants with 1H MRS. These participants will only take part in one visit, during which they will undergo a baseline MRI scan, followed by the injection of L-carnitine. The MRI/MRS will be repeated two hours after the injection. AC has previously been measured in skeletal muscle using 1H MRS. In this study it will be measured in the septum of the heart and in the liver pre and 2 hours post-injection of 50 mg/kg i.v. of L-carnitine.

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