Abstract: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a powerful technique that provides info rmation on biochemical status and phy siological processes both in vitro and in vivo. The characteristics of energy metabolism and phospholipid pathw ay of mouse S180 sarcoma during growth was studied by ³¹P mag netic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).The results showed that with the increase of tumor volume, (1)Pi and PME peak intensities increase;(2)PCr content decreases and oftend isappeares in the latter phase;(3)β-NTP (usually presenting ATP)peak falls more solwly than PCr peak;(4)PDE shows no constant changes;(5)PCr/Pi and β-NTP/Pi ratios both decrease, and PCr/Pi decreases faster than β-NTP/Pi;(6) PME/β-NTP ratio increases;(7)tumor pH decreases, and is correlated with tumor sizes, PCr/Pi,β-NTP/Pi and (PCr+β-NTP)/Pi ratios.The biology reated to the changes of these parameters was discussed.The spectrum appears to reflect the degree of hyposia of the remaining viable cells, and the metabolic alterations required to sustain ATP synthesis as the oxygen supply diminishes.Increase in the PMEs (mainly PC)is primarily due to the increase of membrane synthesis and cellular proliferation and the increase in PC levels would be accounted for a decrease in the CTP:PC cytidyly ltransferase.

Key words: Mouse S180 sarcoma, Surface-coil, ³¹P MRS