Natalie May
Zahr1,2, Meng Gu3, Dirk Mayer, 2,3, Daniel
Mark Spielman3, Edith V. Sullivan1, Adolf Pfefferbaum,
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1Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; 2Neuroscience,
SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States; 3Radiology,
Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
Glutamate
(Glu) and glutamine (Gln) were quantified individually to determine the
effects of ethanol (EtOH) on rat brain metabolites. CT-PRESS was acquired at
baseline (MRS1) and after 16 (MRS2) and 24 weeks (MRS3) of EtOH exposure.
Previous analysis revealed an increase in the combined resonances of Glu+Gln
(i.e., Glx) with escalating EtOH doses. The current investigation unveils
that underlying the increase in Glx at MRS2 was an increase in Gln, and
underlying the increase in Glx at MRS3 was an increase in Glu. These results
caution against interpretations regarding changes to Glx as a surrogate
marker for Glu or Gln.