13C NMR Investigation of the Metabolic Effects of Lanthanides in Neuroblastoma Cells

Lanthanides are commonly utilized as initial substances for creating contrast agents to enhance the signal intensity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Nonetheless, many of these compounds are linked to cytotoxicity, necessitating the development of modified versions to mitigate their harmful effects. Similarly, paramagnetic transition metals have been investigated as MRI contrast agents, but with limited success.
This research investigates the influence of both lanthanide and paramagnetic transition metal ions on glucose metabolism and lactate production through the glycolytic pathway in cultured neuroblastoma cancer cells. Different metals were introduced to neuroblastoma cells, and their impacts on metabolism and cell proliferation were observed. To assess metabolic pathways, 13C NMR spectroscopy was employed to track the conversion of glucose into lactate over a 48-hour period, using a Bruker 600 MHz NMR spectrometer. CCK-8 toxicity assays and fluorescence viability tests were conducted to optimize the administered metal concentration.
The high paramagnetic properties of several of these compounds resulted in significant NMR spectrum broadening, and ongoing experiments are exploring counter-anion precipitation as a potential solution to this challenge. Nevertheless, preliminary findings indicate that some of these compounds have the potential to affect glycolytic metabolism in neuroblastoma cells, resulting in both the inhibition and stimulation of specific lactate products.