Flux of Nitrogen-13 from L-[N-13]Glutamate in isolated myocardium

Specific activity of nitrogen-13 containing metabolites in tissue and effluent was determined following an intra-arterial bolus of non-carrier added L-[N-13]glutamate (N-13 GLU) given to isolated rabbit septa under different metabolic states which include pyruvate (2 mM), transaminase inhibition (aminooxy-acetate, AOA, 2 mM), or pyruvate with AOA superimposed on the insulin and glucose perfused septa. Six minutes after the N-13 GLU bolus administration relative tissue specific activities of glutamine, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate were approximately 3:38:52:100, respectively, in the control and pyruvate perfused septa. The lower alanine specific activity when compared with control tissue indicated that alanine output was from a pool separate from GPT alanine pools. Higher glutamate specific activity suggested that its output is from a pool(s) different than the larger intra-cellular glutamate pool(s). All interventions with AOA blocked N-13 flux through transminases altering tissue and effluent relative specific activities with increase in % N-13 and specific activities for glutamine, glutamate, ammonia, and protein concomittant with disappearance of labeled aspartate and alanine. These results indicate that N-13 distribution in myocardium after N-13 GLU administration is mainly controlled by glutamate interaction with reversible transaminases. The differences in reactant (N-13 GLU) and product specific activities are a consequence of channeling between different cytosolic and mitochondrial glutamate microcompartments