Glutamic acid transport in cortical synaptosomes from essential fatty acid deficient rats

the sodium dependence of the high-affinity transport of glutamic acid in rat brain synaptosomes has been studied in animals maintained on a diet deficient in essential fatty acids (EFAD), and the results compared to similar studies with animals on a normal diet. Although the data give best fit to the same kinetic model as for control data, there are differences in the constants that describe the model. Except at low sodium concentrations, uptake is lower for the EFAD gorup. As a consequence of the differences in constants for the two groups, there are quantitative differences in the transport mechanism. The rate equation for the best fit model has been utilized to define certain functions in terms of dissociation and translocation constants, glutamate, sodium, and total carrier concentrations. These functions were calculated and utilized to compare the transport mechanism for the two groups. Although there are differences between these functions for control and EFAD animals, these differences are small and therefore of doubtful physiological significance.