title: Pyruvate carboxylation in different model systems studied by (13)C MRS.
abstract: Pyruvate carboxylation is of great importance in the brain since it is responsible for adding net carbons to the tricarboxylic acid cycle following removal of carbon backbone for synthesis of the two most abundant neurotransmitters, glutamate and GABA. Despite having such a pivotal role, there is still much uncertainty in the exact metabolic details about where and how this carbon is returned. Pyruvate carboxylation has been studied in various model systems of the brain and (13)C magnetic resonance spectroscopy is an excellent tool for doing this. This review will focus on results dealing with the extent and cellular location of pyruvate carboxylation and its role in pathophysiology and concludes that pyruvate carboxylation is an extraordinarily important predominantly astrocytic pathway which plays a pivotal part in a number of diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7489 Trondheim, Norway. ursula.sonnewald@ntnu.no
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sonnewald
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rae
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D019289:Pyruvic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D019289:Pyruvic Acid