A selective NMR method for detecting choline containing compounds in liver tissue: the 1H-14N HSQC experiment.

The feasibility of a 1H−14N HSQC experiment on tissues is demonstrated with a mouse liver based on the J couplings between the protons and the quadrupolar nucleus 14N in choline. Free choline, phosphocholine, and glycerolphosphocholine 1H−14N HSQC signals were selectively observed with all unwanted signals cleanly suppressed. The CH2O signals were well resolved in the two-dimensional spectrum, which can be used for quantitative analyses.