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Miller CO, Gantert LT, Previs SF, Chen Y, Anderson KD, Thomas JM, Sanacora G, Uslaner JM, Rothman DL, Mason GF. A Novel Biomarker of Neuronal Glutamate Metabolism in Nonhuman Primates Using Localized 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: Development and Effects of BNC375, an α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:598-606. [PMID: 33309567 PMCID: PMC8005500 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of treatments for cognitive deficits associated with central nervous system disorders is currently a significant medical need. Despite the great need for such therapeutics, a significant challenge in the drug development process is the paucity of robust biomarkers to assess target modulation and guide clinical decisions. We developed a novel, translatable biomarker of neuronal glutamate metabolism, the 13C-glutamate+glutamine (Glx) H3:H4 labeling ratio, in nonhuman primates using localized 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy combined with 13C-glucose infusions. METHODS We began with numerical simulations in an established model of brain glutamate metabolism, showing that the 13C-Glx H3:H4 ratio should be a sensitive biomarker of neuronal tricarboxylic acid cycle activity, a key measure of overall neuronal metabolism. We showed that this biomarker can be measured reliably using a standard 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy method (point-resolved spectroscopy sequence/echo time = 20 ms), obviating the need for specialized hardware and pulse sequences typically used with 13C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, thus improving overall clinical translatability. Finally, we used this biomarker in 8 male rhesus macaques before and after administration of the compound BNC375, a positive allosteric modulator of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor that enhances glutamate signaling ex vivo and elicits procognitive effects in preclinical species. RESULTS The 13C-Glx H3:H4 ratios in the monkeys showed that BNC375 increases neuronal metabolism in nonhuman primates in vivo, detectable on an individual basis. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that the ratio of 13C-Glx H3:H4 labeling is a biomarker that may provide an objective readout of compounds affecting glutamatergic neurotransmission and could improve decision making for the development of therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corin O Miller
- Department of Translational Imaging Biomarkers, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, New Jersey.
| | - Liza T Gantert
- Department of Translational Imaging Biomarkers, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, New Jersey
| | | | - Ying Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, New Jersey
| | - Kenneth D Anderson
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, and Drug Metabolism, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, New Jersey
| | - Justina M Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, and Drug Metabolism, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, New Jersey
| | - Gerard Sanacora
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jason M Uslaner
- Department of Neuroscience, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, New Jersey
| | - Douglas L Rothman
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Biomedical Engineering Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Graeme F Mason
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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Sonnay S, Gruetter R, Duarte JMN. How Energy Metabolism Supports Cerebral Function: Insights from 13C Magnetic Resonance Studies In vivo. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:288. [PMID: 28603480 PMCID: PMC5445183 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral function is associated with exceptionally high metabolic activity, and requires continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients from the blood stream. Since the mid-twentieth century the idea that brain energy metabolism is coupled to neuronal activity has emerged, and a number of studies supported this hypothesis. Moreover, brain energy metabolism was demonstrated to be compartmentalized in neurons and astrocytes, and astrocytic glycolysis was proposed to serve the energetic demands of glutamatergic activity. Shedding light on the role of astrocytes in brain metabolism, the earlier picture of astrocytes being restricted to a scaffold-associated function in the brain is now out of date. With the development and optimization of non-invasive techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), several groups have worked on assessing cerebral metabolism in vivo. In this context, 1H MRS has allowed the measurements of energy metabolism-related compounds, whose concentrations can vary under different brain activation states. 1H-[13C] MRS, i.e., indirect detection of signals from 13C-coupled 1H, together with infusion of 13C-enriched glucose has provided insights into the coupling between neurotransmission and glucose oxidation. Although these techniques tackle the coupling between neuronal activity and metabolism, they lack chemical specificity and fail in providing information on neuronal and glial metabolic pathways underlying those processes. Currently, the improvement of detection modalities (i.e., direct detection of 13C isotopomers), the progress in building adequate mathematical models along with the increase in magnetic field strength now available render possible detailed compartmentalized metabolic flux characterization. In particular, direct 13C MRS offers more detailed dataset acquisitions and provides information on metabolic interactions between neurons and astrocytes, and their role in supporting neurotransmission. Here, we review state-of-the-art MR methods to study brain function and metabolism in vivo, and their contribution to the current understanding of how astrocytic energy metabolism supports glutamatergic activity and cerebral function. In this context, recent data suggests that astrocytic metabolism has been underestimated. Namely, the rate of oxidative metabolism in astrocytes is about half of that in neurons, and it can increase as much as the rate of neuronal metabolism in response to sensory stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Sonnay
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneLausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rolf Gruetter
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneLausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, University of LausanneLausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, University of GenevaGeneva, Switzerland
| | - João M N Duarte
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneLausanne, Switzerland
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Dehghani M M, Lanz B, Duarte JMN, Kunz N, Gruetter R. Refined Analysis of Brain Energy Metabolism Using In Vivo Dynamic Enrichment of 13C Multiplets. ASN Neuro 2016; 8:8/2/1759091416632342. [PMID: 26969691 PMCID: PMC4790427 DOI: 10.1177/1759091416632342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in combination with the infusion of 13C-labeled precursors is a unique approach to study in vivo brain energy metabolism. Incorporating the maximum information available from in vivo localized 13C spectra is of importance to get broader knowledge on cerebral metabolic pathways. Metabolic rates can be quantitatively determined from the rate of 13C incorporation into amino acid neurotransmitters such as glutamate and glutamine using suitable mathematical models. The time course of multiplets arising from 13C-13C coupling between adjacent carbon atoms was expected to provide additional information for metabolic modeling leading to potential improvements in the estimation of metabolic parameters. The aim of the present study was to extend two-compartment neuronal/glial modeling to include dynamics of 13C isotopomers available from fine structure multiplets in 13C spectra of glutamate and glutamine measured in vivo in rats brain at 14.1 T, termed bonded cumomer approach. Incorporating the labeling time courses of 13C multiplets of glutamate and glutamine resulted in elevated precision of the estimated fluxes in rat brain as well as reduced correlations between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Dehghani M
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (LIFMET), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
| | - Bernard Lanz
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (LIFMET), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
| | - João M N Duarte
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (LIFMET), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland Department of Radiology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Kunz
- CIBM-AIT, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rolf Gruetter
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (LIFMET), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland Department of Radiology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland Department of Radiology, University of Geneva, Switzerland
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Rae CD. A Guide to the Metabolic Pathways and Function of Metabolites Observed in Human Brain 1H Magnetic Resonance Spectra. Neurochem Res 2013; 39:1-36. [PMID: 24258018 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-013-1199-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 327] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2013] [Revised: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 11/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Lanz B, Gruetter R, Duarte JMN. Metabolic Flux and Compartmentation Analysis in the Brain In vivo. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2013; 4:156. [PMID: 24194729 PMCID: PMC3809570 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2013.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Through significant developments and progresses in the last two decades, in vivo localized nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) became a method of choice to probe brain metabolic pathways in a non-invasive way. Beside the measurement of the total concentration of more than 20 metabolites, (1)H MRS can be used to quantify the dynamics of substrate transport across the blood-brain barrier by varying the plasma substrate level. On the other hand, (13)C MRS with the infusion of (13)C-enriched substrates enables the characterization of brain oxidative metabolism and neurotransmission by incorporation of (13)C in the different carbon positions of amino acid neurotransmitters. The quantitative determination of the biochemical reactions involved in these processes requires the use of appropriate metabolic models, whose level of details is strongly related to the amount of data accessible with in vivo MRS. In the present work, we present the different steps involved in the elaboration of a mathematical model of a given brain metabolic process and its application to the experimental data in order to extract quantitative brain metabolic rates. We review the recent advances in the localized measurement of brain glucose transport and compartmentalized brain energy metabolism, and how these reveal mechanistic details on glial support to glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Lanz
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rolf Gruetter
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - João M. N. Duarte
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: João M. N. Duarte, Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Bâtiment CH, Station 6, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland e-mail:
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Duarte JMN, Gruetter R. Glutamatergic and GABAergic energy metabolism measured in the rat brain by 13
C NMR spectroscopy at 14.1 T. J Neurochem 2013; 126:579-90. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Revised: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- João M. N. Duarte
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging; École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; Lausanne Switzerland
- Department of Radiology; University of Lausanne; Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Rolf Gruetter
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging; École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; Lausanne Switzerland
- Department of Radiology; University of Lausanne; Lausanne Switzerland
- Department of Radiology; University of Geneva; Geneva Switzerland
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Shen J. Modeling the glutamate-glutamine neurotransmitter cycle. FRONTIERS IN NEUROENERGETICS 2013; 5:1. [PMID: 23372548 PMCID: PMC3556573 DOI: 10.3389/fnene.2013.00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in brain. Although it is rapidly synthesized from glucose in neural tissues the biochemical processes for replenishing the neurotransmitter glutamate after glutamate release involve the glutamate–glutamine cycle. Numerous in vivo13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) experiments since 1994 by different laboratories have consistently concluded: (1) the glutamate–glutamine cycle is a major metabolic pathway with a flux rate substantially greater than those suggested by early studies of cell cultures and brain slices; (2) the glutamate–glutamine cycle is coupled to a large portion of the total energy demand of brain function. The dual roles of glutamate as the principal neurotransmitter in the CNS and as a key metabolite linking carbon and nitrogen metabolism make it possible to probe glutamate neurotransmitter cycling using MRS by measuring the labeling kinetics of glutamate and glutamine. At the same time, comparing to non-amino acid neurotransmitters, the added complexity makes it more challenging to quantitatively separate neurotransmission events from metabolism. Over the past few years our understanding of the neuronal-astroglial two-compartment metabolic model of the glutamate–glutamine cycle has been greatly advanced. In particular, the importance of isotopic dilution of glutamine in determining the glutamate–glutamine cycling rate using [1−13C] or [1,6-13C2] glucose has been demonstrated and reproduced by different laboratories. In this article, recent developments in the two-compartment modeling of the glutamate–glutamine cycle are reviewed. In particular, the effects of isotopic dilution of glutamine on various labeling strategies for determining the glutamate–glutamine cycling rate are analyzed. Experimental strategies for measuring the glutamate–glutamine cycling flux that are insensitive to isotopic dilution of glutamine are also suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Shen
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health Bethesda, MD, USA
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Brekke E, Walls AB, Nørfeldt L, Schousboe A, Waagepetersen HS, Sonnewald U. Direct measurement of backflux between oxaloacetate and fumarate following pyruvate carboxylation. Glia 2011; 60:147-58. [PMID: 22052553 DOI: 10.1002/glia.21265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2011] [Accepted: 10/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pyruvate carboxylation (PC) is thought to be the major anaplerotic reaction for the tricarboxylic acid cycle and is necessary for de novo synthesis of amino acid neurotransmitters. In the brain, the main enzyme involved is pyruvate carboxylase, which is predominantly located in astrocytes. Carboxylation leads to the formation of oxaloacetate, which condenses with acetyl coenzyme A to form citrate. However, oxaloacetate may also be converted to malate and fumarate before being regenerated. This pathway is termed the oxaloacetate-fumarate-flux or backflux. Carbon isotope-based methods for quantification of activity of PC lead to underestimation when backflux is not taken into account and critical errors have been made in the interpretation of results from metabolic studies. This study was conducted to establish the degree of backflux after PC in cerebellar and neocortical astrocytes. Astrocyte cultures from cerebellum or neocortex were incubated with either [3-(13) C] or [2-(13) C]glucose, and extracts were analyzed using mass spectrometry or nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Substantial PC compared with pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was observed, and extensive backflux was demonstrated in both types of astrocytes. The extent of backflux varied between the metabolites, reaffirming that metabolism is highly compartmentalized. By applying our calculations to published data, we demonstrate the existence of backflux in vivo in cat, rat, mouse, and human brain. Thus, backflux should be taken into account when calculating the magnitude of PC to allow for a more precise evaluation of cerebral metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Brekke
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Xiang Y, Shen J. In vivo detection of intermediate metabolic products of [1-(13) C]ethanol in the brain using (13) C MRS. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2011; 24:1054-62. [PMID: 21312308 PMCID: PMC3400341 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.1653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2010] [Revised: 09/29/2010] [Accepted: 11/07/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
In this study, in vivo (13) C MRS was used to investigate the labeling of brain metabolites after intravenous administration of [1-(13) C]ethanol. After [1-(13) C]ethanol had been administered systemically to rats, (13) C labels were detected in glutamate, glutamine and aspartate in the carboxylic and amide carbon spectral region. (13) C-labeled bicarbonate HCO 3- (161.0 ppm) was also detected. Saturating acetaldehyde C1 at 207.0 ppm was found to have no effect on the ethanol C1 (57.7 ppm) signal intensity after extensive signal averaging, providing direct in vivo evidence that direct metabolism of alcohol by brain tissue is minimal. To compare the labeling of brain metabolites by ethanol with labeling by glucose, in vivo time course data were acquired during intravenous co-infusion of [1-(13) C]ethanol and [(13) C(6) ]-D-glucose. In contrast with labeling by [(13) C(6) ]-D-glucose, which produced doublets of carboxylic/amide carbons with a J coupling constant of 51 Hz, the simultaneously detected glutamate and glutamine singlets were labeled by [1-(13) C]ethanol. As (13) C labels originating from ethanol enter the brain after being converted into [1-(13) C]acetate in the liver, and the direct metabolism of ethanol by brain tissue is negligible, it is suggested that orally or intragastrically administered (13) C-labeled ethanol may be used to study brain metabolism and glutamatergic neurotransmission in investigations involving alcohol administration. In vivo (13) C MRS of rat brain following intragastric administration of (13) C-labeled ethanol is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Xiang
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jun Shen
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Rothman DL, De Feyter HM, de Graaf RA, Mason GF, Behar KL. 13C MRS studies of neuroenergetics and neurotransmitter cycling in humans. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2011; 24:943-57. [PMID: 21882281 PMCID: PMC3651027 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.1772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2010] [Revised: 06/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/14/2011] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In the last 25 years, (13)C MRS has been established as the only noninvasive method for the measurement of glutamate neurotransmission and cell-specific neuroenergetics. Although technically and experimentally challenging, (13)C MRS has already provided important new information on the relationship between neuroenergetics and neuronal function, the energy cost of brain function, the high neuronal activity in the resting brain state and how neuroenergetics and neurotransmitter cycling are altered in neurological and psychiatric disease. In this article, the current state of (13)C MRS as it is applied to the study of neuroenergetics and neurotransmitter cycling in humans is reviewed. The focus is predominantly on recent findings in humans regarding metabolic pathways, applications to clinical research and the technical status of the method. Results from in vivo (13)C MRS studies in animals are discussed from the standpoint of the validation of MRS measurements of neuroenergetics and neurotransmitter cycling, and where they have helped to identify key questions to address in human research. Controversies concerning the relationship between neuroenergetics and neurotransmitter cycling and factors having an impact on the accurate determination of fluxes through mathematical modeling are addressed. We further touch upon different (13)C-labeled substrates used to study brain metabolism, before reviewing a number of human brain diseases investigated using (13)C MRS. Future technological developments are discussed that will help to overcome the limitations of (13)C MRS, with special attention given to recent developments in hyperpolarized (13)C MRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas L Rothman
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8043, USA.
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Marin-Valencia I, Good LB, Ma Q, Jeffrey FM, Malloy CR, Pascual JM. High-resolution detection of ¹³C multiplets from the conscious mouse brain by ex vivo NMR spectroscopy. J Neurosci Methods 2011; 203:50-5. [PMID: 21946227 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2011.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2011] [Revised: 08/10/2011] [Accepted: 09/07/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Glucose readily supplies the brain with the majority of carbon needed to sustain neurotransmitter production and utilization. The rate of brain glucose metabolism can be computed using (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy by detecting changes in (13)C contents of products generated by cerebral metabolism. As previously observed, scalar coupling between adjacent (13)C carbons (multiplets) can provide additional information to (13)C contents for the computation of metabolic rates. Most NMR studies have been conducted in large animals (often under anesthesia) because the mass of the target organ is a limiting factor for NMR. Yet, despite the challengingly small size of the mouse brain, NMR studies are highly desirable because the mouse constitutes a common animal model for human neurological disorders. We have developed a method for the ex vivo resolution of NMR multiplets arising from the brain of an awake mouse after the infusion of [1,6-(13)C(2)]glucose. NMR spectra obtained by this method display favorable signal-to-noise ratios. With this infusion protocol, the (13)C multiplets of glutamate, glutamine, GABA and aspartate achieved steady state after 150 min. The method enables the accurate resolution of multiplets over time in the awake mouse brain. We anticipate that this method can be broadly applicable to compute brain fluxes in normal and transgenic mouse models of neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Marin-Valencia
- Rare Brain Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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Duarte JMN, Lanz B, Gruetter R. Compartmentalized Cerebral Metabolism of [1,6-(13)C]Glucose Determined by in vivo (13)C NMR Spectroscopy at 14.1 T. FRONTIERS IN NEUROENERGETICS 2011; 3:3. [PMID: 21713114 PMCID: PMC3112327 DOI: 10.3389/fnene.2011.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2011] [Accepted: 05/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral metabolism is compartmentalized between neurons and glia. Although glial glycolysis is thought to largely sustain the energetic requirements of neurotransmission while oxidative metabolism takes place mainly in neurons, this hypothesis is matter of debate. The compartmentalization of cerebral metabolic fluxes can be determined by (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy upon infusion of (13)C-enriched compounds, especially glucose. Rats under light α-chloralose anesthesia were infused with [1,6-(13)C]glucose and (13)C enrichment in the brain metabolites was measured by (13)C NMR spectroscopy with high sensitivity and spectral resolution at 14.1 T. This allowed determining (13)C enrichment curves of amino acid carbons with high reproducibility and to reliably estimate cerebral metabolic fluxes (mean error of 8%). We further found that TCA cycle intermediates are not required for flux determination in mathematical models of brain metabolism. Neuronal tricarboxylic acid cycle rate (V(TCA)) and neurotransmission rate (V(NT)) were 0.45 ± 0.01 and 0.11 ± 0.01 μmol/g/min, respectively. Glial V(TCA) was found to be 38 ± 3% of total cerebral oxidative metabolism, accounting for more than half of neuronal oxidative metabolism. Furthermore, glial anaplerotic pyruvate carboxylation rate (V(PC)) was 0.069 ± 0.004 μmol/g/min, i.e., 25 ± 1% of the glial TCA cycle rate. These results support a role of glial cells as active partners of neurons during synaptic transmission beyond glycolytic metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- João M N Duarte
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
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Xu S, Shen J. Studying Enzymes by In Vivo C Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2009; 55:266-283. [PMID: 20161496 PMCID: PMC2796782 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2009.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Su Xu
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Heterogeneity of nervous system mitochondria: Location, location, location! Exp Neurol 2009; 218:293-307. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2009.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2009] [Revised: 04/30/2009] [Accepted: 05/08/2009] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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