Carbon 13 NMR spectroscopy: a powerful tool for studying renal metabolism

Using precise examples, this paper shows that carbon 13 NMR spectroscopy in conjunction with radioactive and enzymatic methods as well as with adequate mathematical modeling of metabolic pathways allows not only to identify but also to quantify fluxes through enzymes involved in substrate and drug metabolism. Carbon 13 NMR spectroscopy is a tool of unprecedented power to unravel the complexity of renal metabolism. Currently it plays a major role in what is nowadays called metabolomics. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.