Incorporation of label from [1-¹⁴C]ethanol into the glutamate–glutamine pools of rat brain in vivo

Glutamate and glutamine were isolated from the brains of rats given [1-¹⁴C]ethanol by three different routes of injection with and without carrier ethanol or acetate. Without exception, the specific radioactivity of brain glutamine was 3- to 5-fold that of brain glutamate. The route of injection had no consistent effect on the results. These results indicate that small amounts of ethanol are oxidized by rat brain in the compartment responsible for the so-called ‘small metabolic pool’ of brain glutamate.