Abstract
The most important compartments in neurobiology are the different types of cells present in cerebral tissue, as well as the interstitial space. In this chapter, the compartmentation of brain energy metabolism and its investigation with the use of compartmental models and radiotracer kinetics is introduced. Cerebral energy metabolism is a highly compartmentalized and complex system and the interaction between astrocytes and neurons plays a pivotal role. A current concept, known as the “astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle”, implies the production of lactate by astrocytes, which deliver it to neurons, to match their energy needs. The use of radiolabeled acetate serves as an example how to investigate brain energy compartmentation. The example further illustrates the importance to acquire dynamic data in order to appreciate meaningful readouts, such as compartment specific metabolic rates.
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Weber, B., Jolivet, R., Wyss, M.T., Buck, A. (2012). Radiotracer Perspective on Cerebral Compartmentation. In: Choi, IY., Gruetter, R. (eds) Neural Metabolism In Vivo. Advances in Neurobiology, vol 4. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1788-0_34
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1788-0_34
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