Failure of muscle energy metabolism in a patient with adenylosuccinase deficiency: an in vivo study by phosphorus NMR spectroscopy

31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to investigate in vivo the energy metabolism of the calf muscle in a 10-year-old patient with adenylosuccinate lyase deficiency and severe psychomotor retardation. The patient showed a markedly reduced PCr/P(i) molar ratio, known to well represent the cytosolic phosphorylation potential, due to low PCr and high P(i) content in resting muscle. Moreover, intracellular ATP concentration was significantly lower than in the control group both at rest and at the end of post-exercise recovery. The rate of patient's PCr recovery after an exercise in ischaemic conditions was also out of the reference range, suggesting a reduced ability of mitochondria to respond to metabolic needs.