POSTNATAL DECREASE OF ACETATE CONCENTRATION IN RAT CEREBELLUM

We examined the evolution of H-1-NMR detectable metabolites in rat cer ebellum from the postnatal day 1-25, a period associated with intense metabolic changes as well as physiological and morphological modificat ions. The unexpected result reported here is the existence of a high c oncentration of acetate in neonatal rat cerebellum, progressively decr easing with age and maturation. In contrast, the cerebellum content of various metabolites such as N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA), glutamate, an d aspartate increases from the first day onward. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.