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deep, heavy read on glutamate excitotoxicity and neuronal death leading to neurodegenerative disease

Glutamate is a growth factor for cancer.  Cells make glutamate from glutamine in the diet.  Increased glutamate is associated with cancer metastasis and increased cancer bone pain.

This article describes how important glutamine is as an alternative energy source in Glioblastoma. Cancer is a substrate-level dependent energy production disease. If one disrupts glycolysis as a source of energy, then many cancers will use glutamine through glutaminolysis. The cancer cells will do this through glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamate production. This will increase alpha-ketoglutarate which will then feed the substrate-level phosphorylation through the TCA cycle. This study mentioned that EGCG is a way to naturally inhibit glutamate dehydrogenase.

Estradiol inhibits glutamate mediated influx of calcium and thus cell death in cell line.  Glutamate, the principle excitatory neurotransmitter, is involved in neurodegeneration through activation of calcium channels.  This study of cell line cultures found that Estradiol inhibits this process.  I question whether this is applicable to both men and women.  Time will tell.

Top 200 food sources of Glutamic Acid

exercise found to reduce glutamate excitotoxicity in mouse study.

excellent article on the imaging of excitotoxicity.  Glutamate excitotoxicity is a key component in neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimers, Parkinsons, ALS, MS...

inflammation, glutamate excitotoxicity and depression.  A very nice review of how inflammation can remotely contribute to other arenas of dysfunction, ie. depression.

Brain glutamic acid originates from glutamine.  Glutamine should be avoided in those with excitotoxic diseases.

some tumors, glioblastoma multiforme, secrete glutamate, which increases aggressive nature of cancer

Creatine helpful in decreasing glutamate levels in Huntington's disease.

Glutamate, a common food additive that enhances flavor, is a growth factor for cancer.  

vitamin C shown to reduce brain edema associated with glutamate excitotoxicity

BCAA improve NH3 metabolism.  This is via muscle metabolism as reported in other studies.  This study highlighted the differences in BCAA supplementation.  One caveat is that high glutamine is the result from glutamate and this can increase hepatic encephalopathy.

BCAA are low in patients with liver cirrhosis due to increased glutamate production from glutamine.  The addition of BCAA in these patients is not without side effects--increased NH3 production.  The addition of alpha ketoglutarate should alleviate this risk.

Magnesium and Zinc improve neurodegenerative disease via glutamate blockade; Poor energy production at foundation of neurodegenerative disease

nice abstract on the basic physiologic role of glutamate excitotoxicity

Very heavy, but good read on glutamate excitotoxicity

review of inflammation, glutamic acid, glial activation and depression

Breast cancer is a metabolic disease.  Now, where have I heard that cancer is a metabolic disease?