[2-14C]Ethanol as a precursor of glutamine, glutamate, γ-aminobutyric acid and aspartate in hamster brain in vivo

When [2-14C]ethanol is injected intraperitoneally into hamsters, radioactive carbon is incorporated in the brain into glutamate and glutamine at a rate equivalent to 0.02 μmole ethanol/g/min and into aspartate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at a rate of 0.003 μmole/g/min. This incorporation is linear for at least 90 min after ethanol administration. Acetate formed from the hepatic oxidation of [2-14C]-ethanol seems to be the principal source of radioactive carbon entering the amino acids. Significantly more ethanol-derived acetate is incorporated into glutamine and GABA after a high ethanol dose (2.50 g/kg) than after a low dose (0.62 g/kg).