Abstract
The potential of 31P-MRS for the study of energy metabolism is widely demonstrated in animal models and human skeletal muscles. However there have been no studies reporting energy metabolism of human masticular muscle. This is beeause of the hard susceptibility in the head and neck region and the small volume of masticular muscle. The author devised a method for human masticular muscle especially masseter muscle energy metabolism by 31P-MRS and obtained a 31P-MRspectrum from human masseter muscle. The spectrum consisted of large phosphocreatine (Pcr) and ATP (γ, α, β) peaks, with a weak intraorganic phosphate (Pi) peak. After the exercise of clenching maximally for one minute Pcr decreased and Pi increased, but there was no change in tissue pH and ATP peaks. Pcr and Pi recovery occurred within 8 minutes of the end of the exercise.
