The Role of Astrocytic Glycogen in Supporting the Energetics of Neuronal Activity

Energy homeostasis in the brain is maintained by oxidative metabolism of glucose, primarily to fulfil the energy demand associated with ionic movements in neurons and astrocytes. In this contribution we review the experimental evidence that grounds a specific role of glycogen metabolism in supporting the functional energetic needs of astrocytes during the removal of extracellular potassium. Based on theoretical considerations, we further discuss the hypothesis that the mobilization of glycogen in astrocytes serves the purpose to enhance the availability of glucose for neuronal glycolytic and oxidative metabolism at the onset of stimulation. Finally, we provide an evolutionary perspective for explaining the selection of glycogen as carbohydrate reserve in the energy-sensing machinery of cell metabolism.     

Nutrition during brain activation: does cell-to-cell lactate shuttling contribute significantly to sweet and sour food for thought?

Functional activation of astrocytic metabolism is believed, according to one hypothesis, to be closely linked to excitatory neurotransmission and to provide lactate as fuel for oxidative metabolism in neighboring neurons. However, review of emerging evidence suggests that the energetic demands of activated astrocytes are higher and more complex than recognized and much of the lactate presumably produced by astrocytes is not locally oxidized during activation. In vivo activation studies in normal subjects reveal that the rise in consumption of blood-borne glucose usually exceeds that of oxygen, especially in retina compared to brain. When the contribution of glycogen, the brain's major energy reserve located in astrocytes, is taken into account the magnitude of the carbohydrate-oxygen utilization mismatch increases further because the magnitude of glycogenolysis greatly exceeds the incremental increase in utilization of blood-borne glucose. Failure of local oxygen consumption to equal that of glucose plus glycogen in vivo is strong evidence against stoichiometric transfer of lactate from astrocytes to neighboring neurons for oxidation. Thus, astrocytes, not nearby neurons, use the glycogen for energy during physiological activation in normal brain. These findings plus apparent compartmentation of metabolism of glycogen and blood-borne glucose during activation lead to our working hypothesis that activated astrocytes have high energy demands in their fine perisynaptic processes (filopodia) that might be met by glycogenolysis and glycolysis coupled to rapid lactate clearance. Tissue culture studies do not consistently support the lactate shuttle hypothesis because key elements of the model, glutamate-induced increases in glucose utilization and lactate release, are not observed in many astrocyte preparations, suggesting differences in their oxidative capacities that have not been included in the model. In vivo nutritional interactions between working neurons and astrocytes are not as simple as implied by "sweet (glucose-glycogen) and sour (lactate) food for thought."     

Astrocyte activation in working brain: energy supplied by minor substrates

Glucose delivered to brain by the cerebral circulation is the major and obligatory fuel for all brain cells, and assays of functional activity in working brain routinely focus on glucose utilization. However, these assays do not take into account the contributions of minor substrates or endogenous fuel consumed by astrocytes during brain activation, and emerging evidence suggests that glycogen, acetate, and, perhaps, glutamate, are metabolized by working astrocytes in vivo to provide physiologically significant amounts of energy in addition to that derived from glucose. Rates of glycogenolysis during sensory stimulation of normal, conscious rats are high enough to support the notion that glycogen can contribute substantially to astrocytic glucose utilization during activation. Oxidative metabolism of glucose provides most of the ATP for cultured astrocytes, and a substantial contribution of respiration to astrocyte energetics is supported by recent in vivo studies. Astrocytes preferentially oxidize acetate taken up into brain from blood, and calculated local rates of acetate utilization in vivo are within the range of calculated rates of glucose oxidation in astrocytes. Glutamate may also serve as an energy source for activated astrocytes in vivo because astrocytes in tissue culture and in adult brain tissue readily oxidize glutamate. Taken together, contributions of minor metabolites derived from endogenous and exogenous sources add substantially to the energy obtained by astrocytes from blood-borne glucose. Because energy-generating reactions from minor substrates are not taken into account by routine assays of functional metabolism, they reflect a "hidden cost" of astrocyte work in vivo.     

An integrative dynamic model of brain energy metabolism using <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis> neurochemical measurements

An integrative, systems approach to the modelling of brain energy metabolism is presented. Mechanisms such as glutamate cycling between neurons and astrocytes and glycogen storage in astrocytes have been implemented. A unique feature of the model is its calibration using in vivo data of brain glucose and lactate from freely moving rats under various stimuli. The model has been used to perform simulated perturbation experiments that show that glycogen breakdown in astrocytes is significantly activated during sensory (tail pinch) stimulation. This mechanism provides an additional input of energy substrate during high consumption phases. By way of validation, data from the perfusion of 50 μM propranolol in the rat brain was compared with the model outputs. Propranolol affects the glucose dynamics during stimulation, and this was accurately reproduced in the model by a reduction in the glycogen breakdown in astrocytes. The model’s predictive capacity was verified by using data from a sensory stimulation (restraint) that was not used for model calibration. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted on the model parameters, this showed that the control of energy metabolism and transport processes are critical in the metabolic behaviour of cerebral tissue.     

Why does the brain (not) have glycogen?

In the present paper we formulate the hypothesis that brain glycogen is a critical determinant in the modulation of carbohydrate supply at the cellular level. Specifically, we propose that mobilization of astrocytic glycogen after an increase in AMP levels during enhanced neuronal activity controls the concentration of glucose phosphates in astrocytes. This would result in modulation of glucose phosphorylation by hexokinase and upstream cell glucose uptake. This mechanism would favor glucose channeling to activated neurons, supplementing the already rich neuron-astrocyte metabolic and functional partnership with important implications for the energy compounds used to sustain neuronal activity. The hypothesis is based on recent modeling evidence suggesting that rapid glycogen breakdown can profoundly alter the short-term kinetics of glucose delivery to neurons and astrocytes. It is also based on review of the literature relevant to glycogen metabolism during physiological brain activity, with an emphasis on the metabolic pathways identifying both the origin and the fate of this glucose reserve.     

Neighborly interactions of metabolically-activated astrocytes in vivo

Metabolic responses of brain cells to a stimulus are governed, in part, by their enzymatic specialization and interrelationships with neighboring cells, and local shifts in functional metabolism during brain activation are likely to be influenced by the neurotransmitter system, subcellular compartmentation, and anatomical structure. Selected examples of functional activation illustrate the complexity of metabolic interactions in working brain and of interpretation of changes in brain lactate levels. The major focus of this article is the disproportionately higher metabolism of glucose compared to oxygen in normoxic brain, a phenomenon that occurs during activation in humans and animals. The glucose utilized in excess of oxygen is not fully explained by accumulation of glucose, lactate, or glycogen in brain or by lactate efflux from brain to blood. Thus, any lactate derived from the excess glucose could not have been stoichiometrically exported to and metabolized by neighboring neurons because oxygen consumption would have otherwise increased and matched that of glucose. Metabolic labeling of tricarboxylic acid cycle-derived amino acids increased during brief sensory stimulation, reflecting a rise in oxidative metabolism. Brain glycogen is mainly in astrocytes, and its level falls throughout the stimulus and early post-activation interval. Glycogenolysis cannot be accounted for by lactate accumulation or oxidation; there must be rapid product clearance. Glycogen restoration is slow and diversion of glucose from oxidative pathways for its re-synthesis could reduce the global O(2)/glucose uptake ratio; astrocytes could downshift this ratio for up to an hour after 5 min stimulus. Morphological studies of astrocytes reveal a paucity of cytoplasm and organelles in the fine processes that surround synapses and form gap junction connections with neighboring astrocytes. Specialized regions of astrocytes, e.g. their endfeet and thin peripheral lamellae, are likely to have compartmentalized metabolic activities. Anatomical constraints imposed upon the fine processes might require preferential utilization of glycolysis to satisfy their energy demands, but rapid lactate clearance would then be essential, since its accumulation would inhibit glycolysis. Gap junctional connections between neighboring astrocytes provide a mechanism for rapid metabolite spreading via the astrocytic syncytium and elimination of by-products. Local structure-function relationships need to be incorporated into experimental models of neuron-astrocyte and astrocyte-astrocyte interactions in working brain.     

Functional significance of brain glycogen in sustaining glutamatergic neurotransmission

The involvement of brain glycogen in sustaining neuronal activity has previously been demonstrated. However, to what extent energy derived from glycogen is consumed by astrocytes themselves or is transferred to the neurons in the form of lactate for oxidative metabolism to proceed is at present unclear. The significance of glycogen in fueling glutamate uptake into astrocytes was specifically addressed in cultured astrocytes. Moreover, the objective was to elucidate whether glycogen derived energy is important for maintaining glutamatergic neurotransmission, induced by repetitive exposure to NMDA in co-cultures of cerebellar neurons and astrocytes. In the astrocytes it was shown that uptake of the glutamate analogue d -[³H]aspartate was impaired when glycogen degradation was inhibited irrespective of the presence of glucose, signifying that energy derived from glycogen degradation is important for the astrocytic compartment. By inhibiting glycogen degradation in co-cultures it was evident that glycogen provides energy to sustain glutamatergic neurotransmission, i.e. release and uptake of glutamate. The relocation of glycogen derived lactate to the neuronal compartment was investigated by employing d -lactate, a competitive substrate for the monocarboxylate transporters. Neurotransmitter release was affected by the presence of d -lactate indicating that glycogen derived energy is important not only in the astrocytic but also in the neuronal compartment.     

What learning in day-old chickens can teach a neurochemist: focus on astrocyte metabolism

The learning process sets in motion a prolonged, reproducible, and complicated pattern of brain activation, which provides information about biochemical reactions in activated brain. Study of this pattern during one-trial aversive bead discrimination in day-old chick is facilitated by precise timing of sequential metabolic events occurring between a 10-s learning period, in which the chicks learn to associate a red bead with aversive taste, and memory consolidation, indicated by unwillingness to peck at untainted red beads while freely pecking at corresponding blue beads. Inhibition of learning by metabolic inhibitors and restoration of memory by specific substrates at specific times allow determination of specific metabolic events and their neuronal or astrocytic localization. Downstream metabolism of glycogen and of glucose to pyruvate/lactate is segregated into separate pools. Glucose metabolism via pyruvate dehydrogenation provides energy in both neurons and astrocytes and may include gap junction-mediated lactate transport into astrocytes. A key role is played by glycogenolysis, stimulated by β₂-adrenergic and/or 5-HT₂-receptor stimulation along with α₂-adrenergic stimulation of glycogen synthesis. The importance of glycogen reflects that it selectively supports de novo synthesis of transmitter glutamate by combined pyruvate dehydrogenation and carboxylation in astrocytes.     

星形胶质细胞糖代谢对神经元的支持及保护作用

脑组织有着极其复杂的功能,这些功能的完成有赖于神经元细胞与胶质细胞之间的广泛合作。星形胶质细胞作为人脑内数量最多的细胞,其与神经元细胞之间的相互作用就显得十分重要。葡萄糖代谢途径包括糖酵解,有氧氧化及磷酸戊糖三条途径。其为脑组织维持其正常功能的前提。研究表明星形胶质细胞和神经元在糖代谢方面有着各自的特点,神经元在能量底物及抗氧化应激中对星形胶质细胞糖代谢途径存在一定的依赖性,干扰星形胶质细胞与神经元之间的代谢过程会导致疾病的发生。本综述主要从糖酵解及磷酸戊糖两条糖代谢途径阐述了星形胶质细胞与神经元的关系。这或许会对研究脑的代谢,脑疾病中神经元的损伤机制及如何保护神经元提供全新的视角,并可能为一些疾病的治疗开辟了新的途径。     

Brain glycogen re-awakened

The mammalian brain contains glycogen, which is located predominantly in astrocytes, but its function is unclear. A principal role for brain glycogen as an energy reserve, analogous to its role in the periphery, had been universally dismissed based on its relatively low concentration, an assumption apparently reinforced by the limited duration that the brain can function in the absence of glucose. However, during insulin-induced hypoglycaemia, where brain glucose availability is limited, glycogen content falls first in areas with the highest metabolic rate, suggesting that glycogen provides fuel to support brain function during pathological hypoglycaemia. General anaesthesia results in elevated brain glycogen suggesting quiescent neurones allow glycogen accumulation, and as long ago as the 1950s it was shown that brain glycogen accumulates during sleep, is mobilized upon waking, and that sleep deprivation results in region-specific decreases in brain glycogen, implying a supportive functional role for brain glycogen in the conscious, awake brain. Interest in brain glycogen has recently been re-awakened by the first continuous in vivo measurements using NMR spectroscopy, by the general acceptance of metabolic coupling between glia and neurones involving intercellular transfer of energy substrate, and by studies supporting a prominent physiological role for brain glycogen as a provider of supplemental energy substrate during periods of increased tissue energy demand, when ambient normoglycaemic glucose is unable to meet immediate energy requirements.     

Altered glycogen metabolism in cultured astrocytes from mice with chronic glutathione deficit; relevance for neuroenergetics in schizophrenia

Neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or Huntington's diseases and schizophrenia have been associated with a deficit in glutathione (GSH). In particular, a polymorphism in the gene of glutamate cysteine ligase modulatory subunit (GCLM) is associated with schizophrenia. GSH is the most important intracellular antioxidant and is necessary for the removal of reactive by-products generated by the utilization of glucose for energy supply. Furthermore, glucose metabolism through the pentose phosphate pathway is a major source of NADPH, the cofactor necessary for the regeneration of reduced glutathione. This study aims at investigating glucose metabolism in cultured astrocytes from GCLM knockout mice, which show decreased GSH levels. No difference in the basal metabolism of glucose was observed between wild-type and knockout cells. In contrast, glycogen levels were lower and its turnover was higher in knockout astrocytes. These changes were accompanied by a decrease in the expression of the genes involved in its synthesis and degradation, including the protein targeting to glycogen. During an oxidative challenge induced by tert-Butylhydroperoxide, wild-type cells increased their glycogen mobilization and glucose uptake. However, knockout astrocytes were unable to mobilize glycogen following the same stress and they could increase their glucose utilization only following a major oxidative insult. Altogether, these results show that glucose metabolism and glycogen utilization are dysregulated in astrocytes showing a chronic deficit in GSH, suggesting that alterations of a fundamental aspect of brain energy metabolism is caused by GSH deficit and may therefore be relevant to metabolic dysfunctions observed in schizophrenia.     

Delayed labelling of brain glutamate after an intra-arterial [13C]glucose bolus: evidence for aerobic metabolism of guinea pig brain glycogen store.

Glycogen in glial cells is the largest store of glucose equivalents in the brain. Here we describe evidence that brain glycogen contributes to aerobic energy metabolism of the guinea pig brain in vivo. Five min after an intra-arterial bolus injection of d-[U-14C]glucose, 28+/-11% of the radioactivity in brain tissue was associated with the glycogen fraction, indicating that a significant proportion of labelled glucose taken up by the brain is converted to glycogen shortly after bolus infusion. Incorporation of 13C-label into lactate generated by brains made ischaemic after d-[1-13C]glucose injection confirms that these glucose equivalents can be mobilised for anaerobic glucose metabolism. Aerobic metabolism was monitored by following the time course of 13C-incorporation into glutamate in guinea pig cortex and cerebellum in vivo. After an intra-arterial bolus injection of d-[1-13C]glucose, glutamate labelling reached a maximum 40-60 min after injection, suggesting that a slowly metabolised pool of labelled glucose equivalents was present. As the concentration of 13C-labelled glucose in blood was shown to decrease below detectable levels within 5 min of bolus injection, this late phase of glutamate labelling must occur with mobilisation of a brain storage pool of labelled glucose equivalents. We interpret this as evidence that glucose equivalents in glycogen may contribute to energy metabolism in the aerobic guinea pig brain.     

Antioxidant and bioenergetic coupling between neurons and astrocytes

Oxidative and nitrosative stress underlie the pathogenesis of a broad range of human diseases, in particular neurodegenerative disorders. Within the brain, neurons are the cells most vulnerable to excess reactive oxygen and nitrogen species; their survival relies on the antioxidant protection promoted by neighbouring astrocytes. However, neurons are also intrinsically equipped with a biochemical mechanism that links glucose metabolism to antioxidant defence. Neurons actively metabolize glucose through the pentose phosphate pathway, which maintains the antioxidant glutathione in its reduced state, hence exerting neuroprotection. This process is tightly controlled by a key glycolysis-promoting enzyme and is dependent on an appropriate supply of energy substrates from astrocytes. Thus brain bioenergetic and antioxidant defence is coupled between neurons and astrocytes. A better understanding of the regulation of this intercellular coupling should be important for identifying novel targets for future therapeutic interventions.     

Lactate produced by glycogenolysis in astrocytes regulates memory processing

When administered either systemically or centrally, glucose is a potent enhancer of memory processes. Measures of glucose levels in extracellular fluid in the rat hippocampus during memory tests reveal that these levels are dynamic, decreasing in response to memory tasks and loads; exogenous glucose blocks these decreases and enhances memory. The present experiments test the hypothesis that glucose enhancement of memory is mediated by glycogen storage and then metabolism to lactate in astrocytes, which provide lactate to neurons as an energy substrate. Sensitive bioprobes were used to measure brain glucose and lactate levels in 1-sec samples. Extracellular glucose decreased and lactate increased while rats performed a spatial working memory task. Intrahippocampal infusions of lactate enhanced memory in this task. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of astrocytic glycogenolysis impaired memory and this impairment was reversed by administration of lactate or glucose, both of which can provide lactate to neurons in the absence of glycogenolysis. Pharmacological block of the monocarboxylate transporter responsible for lactate uptake into neurons also impaired memory and this impairment was not reversed by either glucose or lactate. These findings support the view that astrocytes regulate memory formation by controlling the provision of lactate to support neuronal functions.     

Human brain glycogen content and metabolism: implications on its role in brain energy metabolism

The adult brain relies on glucose for its energy needs and stores it in the form of glycogen, primarily in astrocytes. Animal and culture studies indicate that brain glycogen may support neuronal function when the glucose supply from the blood is inadequate and/or during neuronal activation. However, the concentration of glycogen and rates of its metabolism in the human brain are unknown. We used in vivo localized 13C-NMR spectroscopy to measure glycogen content and turnover in the human brain. Nine healthy volunteers received intravenous infusions of [1-(13)C]glucose for durations ranging from 6 to 50 h, and brain glycogen labeling and washout were measured in the occipital lobe for up to 84 h. The labeling kinetics suggest that turnover is the main mechanism of label incorporation into brain glycogen. Upon fitting a model of glycogen metabolism to the time courses of newly synthesized glycogen, human brain glycogen content was estimated at approximately 3.5 micromol/g, i.e., three- to fourfold higher than free glucose at euglycemia. Turnover of bulk brain glycogen occurred at a rate of 0.16 micromol.g-1.h-1, implying that complete turnover requires 3-5 days. Twenty minutes of visual stimulation (n=5) did not result in detectable glycogen utilization in the visual cortex, as judged from similar [13C]glycogen levels before and after stimulation. We conclude that the brain stores a substantial amount of glycogen relative to free glucose and metabolizes this store very slowly under normal physiology.     

Brain energy metabolism: focus on astrocyte-neuron metabolic cooperation

The energy requirements of the brain are very high, and tight regulatory mechanisms operate to ensure adequate spatial and temporal delivery of energy substrates in register with neuronal activity. Astrocytes-a type of glial cell-have emerged as active players in brain energy delivery, production, utilization, and storage. Our understanding of neuroenergetics is rapidly evolving from a "neurocentric" view to a more integrated picture involving an intense cooperativity between astrocytes and neurons. This review focuses on the cellular aspects of brain energy metabolism, with a particular emphasis on the metabolic interactions between neurons and astrocytes.     

Cellular mechanisms of brain energy metabolism and their relevance to functional brain imaging.

Despite striking advances in functional brain imaging, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the signals detected by these techniques are still largely unknown. The basic physiological principle of functional imaging is represented by the tight coupling existing between neuronal activity and the associated local increase in both blood flow and energy metabolism. Positron emission tomography (PET) signals detect blood flow, oxygen consumption and glucose use associated with neuronal activity; the degree of blood oxygenation is currently thought to contribute to the signal detected with functional magnetic resonance imaging, while magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) identifies the spatio-temporal pattern of the activity-dependent appearance of certain metabolic intermediates such as glucose or lactate. Recent studies, including those of neurotransmitter-regulated metabolic fluxes in purified preparations and analyses of the cellular localization of enzymes and transporters involved in energy metabolism, as well as in vivo microdialysis and MRS approaches have identified the neurotransmitter glutamate and astrocytes, a specific type of glial cell, as pivotal elements in the coupling of synaptic activity with energy metabolism. Astrocytes are ideally positioned to sense increases in synaptic activity and to couple them with energy metabolism. Indeed they possess specialized processes that cover the surface of intraparenchymal capillaries, suggesting that astrocytes may be a likely site of prevalent glucose uptake. Other astrocyte processes are wrapped around synaptic contacts which possess receptors and reuptake sites for neurotransmitters. Glutamate stimulates glucose uptake into astrocytes. This effect is mediated by specific glutamate transporters present on these cells. The activity of these transporters, which is tightly coupled to the synaptic release of glutamate and operates the clearance of glutamate from the extracellular space, is driven by the electrochemical gradient of Na+. This Na(+)-dependent uptake of glutamate into astrocytes triggers a cascade of molecular events involving the Na+/K(+)-ATPase leading to the glycolytic processing of glucose and the release of lactate by astrocytes. The stoichiometry of this process is such that for one glutamate molecule taken up with three Na+ ions, one glucose molecule enters an astrocyte, two ATP molecules are produced through aerobic glycolysis and two lactate molecules are released. Within the astrocyte, one ATP molecule fuels one 'turn of the pump' while the other provides the energy needed to convert glutamate to glutamine by glutamine synthase. Evidence has been accumulated from structural as well as functional studies indicating that, under aerobic conditions, lactate may be the preferred energy substrate of activated neurons. Indeed, in the presence of oxygen, lactate is converted to pyruvate, which can be processed through the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the associated oxidative phosphorylation, to yield 17 ATP molecules per lactate molecule. These data suggest that during activation the brain may transiently resort to aerobic glycolysis occurring in astrocytes, followed by the oxidation of lactate by neurons. The proposed model provides a direct mechanism to couple synaptic activity with glucose use and is consistent with the notion that the signals detected during physiological activation with 18F-deoxyglucose (DG)-PET may reflect predominantly uptake of the tracer into astrocytes. This conclusion does not question the validity of the 2-DG-based techniques, rather it provides a cellular and molecular basis for these functional brain imaging techniques.     

How astrocytes feed hungry neurons

For years glucose was thought to constitute the sole energy substrate for neurons; it was believed to be directly provided to neurons via the extracellular space by the cerebral circulation. It was recently proposed that in addition to glucose, neurons might rely on lactate to sustain their activity. Therefore, it was demonstrated that lactate is a preferred oxidative substrate for neurons not only in vitro but also in vivo. Moreover, the presence of specific monocarboxylate transporters on neurons as well as on astrocytes is consistent with the hypothesis of a transfer of lactate from astrocytes to neurons. Evidence has been provided for a mechanism whereby astrocytes respond to glutamatergic activity by enhancing their glycolytic activity, resulting in increased lactate release. This is accomplished via the uptake of glutamate by glial glutamate transporters, leading to activation of the Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase and a stimulation of astrocytic glycolysis. Several recent observations obtained both in vitro and in vivo with different approaches have reinforced this view of brain energetics. Such an understanding might be critically important, not only because it forms the basis of some classical functional brain imaging techniques but also because several neurodegenerative diseases exhibit diverse alterations in energy metabolism.     

Brain glycogen and its role in supporting glutamate and GABA homeostasis in a type 2 diabetes rat model

The number of people suffering from diabetes is hastily increasing and the condition is associated with altered brain glucose homeostasis. Brain glycogen is located in astrocytes and being a carbohydrate reservoir it contributes to glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, glycogen has been indicated to be important for proper neurotransmission under normal conditions. Previous findings from our laboratory suggested that glucose metabolism was reduced in type 2 diabetes, and thus we wanted to investigate more specifically how brain glycogen metabolism contributes to maintain energy status in the type 2 diabetic state. Also, our objective was to elucidate the contribution of glycogen to support neurotransmitter glutamate and GABA homeostasis. A glycogen phosphorylase (GP) inhibitor was administered to Sprague-Dawley (SprD) and Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats in vivo and after one day of treatment [1-13C]glucose was used to monitor metabolism. Brain levels of 13C labeling in glucose, lactate, alanine, glutamate, GABA, glutamine and aspartate were determined. Our results show that inhibition of brain glycogen metabolism reduced the amounts of glutamate in both the control and type 2 diabetes models. The reduction in glutamate was associated with a decrease in the pyruvate carboxylase/pyruvate dehydrogenase ratio in the control but not the type 2 diabetes model. In the type 2 diabetes model GABA levels were increased suggesting that brain glycogen serves a role in maintaining a proper ratio between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in type 2 diabetes. Both the control and the type 2 diabetic states had a compensatory increase in glucose-derived 13C processed through the TCA cycle following inhibition of glycogen degradation. Finally, it was indicated that the type 2 diabetes model might have an augmented necessity for compensatory upregulation at the glycolytic level.     

Astrocytic Metabolism Focusing on Glutamate Homeostasis: A Short Review Dedicated to Vittorio Gallo

A large number of studies have during the last several decades shown that astrocytes play a significant role in brain energy metabolism accounting for a considerable part of the oxygen uptake and the corresponding oxidative metabolism of glucose and lactate. Interestingly, it has become clear that in addition to these two major energy substrates, glutamate may be considered as an important alternative energy substrate and this is tightly coupled to its role as an excitatory neurotransmitter. Hence, this short review will link these events and provide an account of the role that Vittorio Gallo came to play as he coauthored a publication which demonstrated the usefulness of cultured cerebellar granule cells for studies of glutamate neurotransmission. Just by chance this study was published the same year that my own group published a similar study of glutamate uptake and release in a corresponding preparation of cultured neurons and astrocytes from cerebellum and cerebral cortex. Thus, it is a pleasure to dedicate this account of the role of astrocytes in glutamate neurotransmission to Vittorio Gallo whom I have had the pleasure of knowing for more than three decades.