A flux analysis model for the metabolism of neurotransmitter glutamate is constructed, in order to study functional aspects of its metabolism. This work is based on the potassium [K(+)] evoked neurotransmitter glutamate released, as measured in a series of experiments of superfused rat or mouse brain preparations. These measurements are combined with data reported, concerning the metabolism of glutamate and its precursors, glutamine and glucose in rat cerebral cells in vivo. The proposed stoichiometry of the specific reaction network renders the model solvable. The classification procedure establishes that the measured fluxes are all balanceable and all non-measured fluxes can be calculated. The system is well posed with a condition number of 7.8536. The results emphasize the importance of phosphate activated glutaminase and aspartate aminotransferase in the metabolism of neurotransmitter glutamate. Reported data on the rate of the malate-aspartate shuttle, as well as the anaplerotic flux of the glial pyruvate carboxylase reaction are in agreement with the estimations calculated from the proposed model.

中文翻译：

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代谢通量分析作为阐明神经递质谷氨酸代谢的工具。

为研究神经递质谷氨酸代谢的通量分析模型，以研究其代谢的功能方面。这项工作基于释放的钾[K（+）]引起的神经递质谷氨酸钾，这是在一系列超融合大鼠或小鼠大脑制备物的实验中测得的。这些测量与报告的数据结合在一起，这些数据涉及体内大鼠脑细胞中谷氨酸及其前体，谷氨酰胺和葡萄糖的代谢。拟议的特定反应网络的化学计量关系使模型可求解。分类程序确定测得的通量都是平衡的，并且可以计算所有未测通量。系统状况良好，条件编号为7.8536。结果强调了磷酸激活的谷氨酰胺酶和天冬氨酸转氨酶在神经递质谷氨酸代谢中的重要性。关于苹果酸-天冬氨酸穿梭速率以及神经胶质丙酮酸羧化酶反应的过失通量的报道数据与从提出的模型计算出的估计值一致。