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Cover Picture: 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of the human brain. The spectroscopic volume of detection was positioned in the occipital parietal lobe of the brain on scout MR images (background image). 13C NMR spectra were acquired during an intravenous infusion of [2-13C] acetate (right panel), showing 13C incorporation into the C2, C3, and C4 atomic positions of glutamate and glutamine. Comparison with spectra acquired during an infusion of [1-13C] glucose (left panel) shows clear differences in labeling patterns reflecting cell-type-specific metabolism: acetate and glucose are metabolized primarily in different metabolic compartments in human brain, astroglia, and neurons, respectively. Mathematical modeling of 13C incorporation indicates that the glutamate/glutamine neurotransmitter cycle between astroglia and neurons is the major pathway for neuronal glutamate repletion, and that the astroglial TCA cycle flux accounts of ~14% of brain oxygen consumption. For details, see the article by Lebon et al. in this issue (pages 1523-1531).
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