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Abstract #3522

Methamphetamine Abuse Impacts Glial Metabolism

Napapon Sailasuta1, Osama Abulseoud2, Kent Harris1, Martha Hernandez2,3

1Clinical MR Spectroscopy, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Pasadena, CA, United States; 2University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States; 3Rudi Schulte Research Institute, Santa Barbara , CA, United States


Molecular Imaging in CNS depends upon selective probes which penetrate the blood brain barrier and document receptors, transporters enzymes or metabolic flux rates. 1-13C enriched acetate, a normal cerebral fuel has the unique property of cellular transport into glia and exclusion from neurons. Advances in 13C MR have brought this assay to routine use whereby glial metabolic rate can be assayed in frontal brain without unsafe heat deposition conventionally associated with the 13C method. 50% reduction frontal metabolism of glia was detected in severely methamphetamine dependent patients during the initial phase of abstinence.