Changes in hexokinase isoenzymes in regions of rat brain during insulin-induced hypoglycemia

Acidosis mediates recurrent hypoglycemia-induced increase in ischemic brain injury in treated diabetic rats

OBJECTIVES

Cerebral ischemia is a serious possible manifestation of diabetic vascular disease. Recurrent hypoglycemia (RH) enhances ischemic brain injury in insulin-treated diabetic (ITD) rats. In the present study, we determined the role of ischemic acidosis in enhanced ischemic brain damage in RH-exposed ITD rats.

METHODS

Diabetic rats were treated with insulin and mild/moderate RH was induced for 5 days. Three sets of experiments were performed. The first set evaluated the effects of RH exposure on global cerebral ischemia-induced acidosis in ITD rats. The second set evaluated the effect of an alkalizing agent (Tris-(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane: THAM) on ischemic acidosis-induced brain injury in RH-exposed ITD rats. The third experiment evaluated the effect of the glucose transporter (GLUT) inhibitor on ischemic acidosis-induced brain injury in RH-exposed ITD rats. Hippocampal pH and lactate were measured during ischemia and early reperfusion for all three experiments. Neuronal survival in Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA1) hippocampus served as a measure of ischemic brain injury.

FINDINGS

Prior RH exposure increases lactate concentration and decreases pH during ischemia and early reperfusion when compared to controls. THAM and GLUT inhibitor treatments attenuated RH-induced increase in ischemic acidosis. GLUT inhibitor treatment reduced the RH-induced increase in lactate levels. Both THAM and GLUT inhibitor treatments significantly decreased ischemic damage in RH-exposed ITD rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Ischemia causes increased acidosis in RH-exposed ITD rats via a GLUT-sensitive mechanism. Exploring downstream pathways may help understand mechanisms by which prior exposure to RH increases cerebral ischemic damage.

Chromium modulates expressions of neuronal plasticity markers and glial fibrillary acidic proteins in hypoglycemia-induced brain injury

AIMS

This experiment investigated if chromium (Cr) as Cr-histidinate (CrHis) and Cr29 picolinate (CrPic) have a protective role in rats with hypoglycemia-induced brain injury, assessed by neuronal plasticity and regeneration potential.

MAIN METHODS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were prospectively divided into 2 groups: control and hypoglycemic (induced by insulin administration, 15U/kg, i.p., n=56). Hypoglycemic rats were then received randomly 1) none, 2) dextrose (on the day of sampling), 3) CrHis, or 4) CrPic. Cr-chelates were delivered via drinking water (providing 8μg elemental Cr per day) for one week prior to the hypoglycemia induction. The expressions of neuroplasticity markers [neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)], glucose transporters (GLUT), and nuclear transcription proteins [nuclear factor-kappa (NF-κB), nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), and 4-hydroxyl nonenal (HNE)] were determined using Western blot.

KEY FINDINGS

Hypoglycemia caused increases in the expressions of GLUT-1, GLUT-3, GFAP, NF-κB and HNE and decreases in the expression of NCAM's, GAP-43 and Nrf2 in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and cortex. Cr-chelates suppressed expressions of GLUTs, GFAP, NF-κB and HNE expressions and enhanced expressions of NCAM, GAP-43 and Nrf2, which were more notable for CrHis than for CrPic.

SIGNIFICANCE

In conclusion, hypoglycemia leads to cerebral injury and Cr-chelates, particularly CrHis have protective and regeneration potential in cerebral tissues through modulating neuroplasticity markers and nuclear transcription proteins as well as facilitating glucose transporters.

Expression of neuronal plasticity markers in hypoglycemia induced brain injury

The expression of neuroplasticity markers was analyzed in four brain regions, namely cerebral hemispheres (CH), cerebellum (CB), brain stem (BS) and diencephalon (DC) from insulin-induced hypoglycemic young adult rats. Significant decrease in neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) isoforms and growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) was observed following hypoglycemic injury from majority of brain regions studied. The glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) level increased significantly in cerebral hemispheres and diencephalon regions, whereas, synaptophysin level increased in cerebellum, brain stem and diencephalon regions. The selective downregulation of the neuronal plasticity marker proteins (GAP-43 and NCAM), and enhanced expression of GFAP and synaptophysin suggests that in acute hypoglycemia, mechanisms other than energy failure may also contribute to neuronal cell damage in the brain.

Acetylcholinesterase and Na+,K(+)-ATPase activities in different regions of rat brain during insulin-induced hypoglycemia

The activities of acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine acetylhydrolase, EC 3.1.1.7), responsible for hydrolysis of acetylcholine and Na+,K(+)-ATPase (Mg(2+)-dependent ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3), which plays a crucial role in neurotransmission, were determined in four brain regions after 1, 2, and 3 h of insulin administration. Significant decrease in the acetylcholinesterase and Na+,K(+)-ATPase activities was observed in the soluble and total particulate fractions from cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, brain stem, and diencephalon + basal ganglia after 1, 2, and 3 h of insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Blood glucose level decreased significantly after 1 h of insulin administration and remained at low level for 2 h thereafter, whereas, the protein content in different subcellular fractions from four brain regions did not show any significant change under this physiological stress.

Role of prolactin on neural and glial cellular enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. I. Studies on immature male bonnet monkeys

The influence of prolactin (Prl) and bromocriptine on the specific activities of neural and glial cellular enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism in cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, cerebellum and pons-medulla was studied. Both Prl and bromocriptine stimulated the activity of hexokinase (HK) in the neural as well as in the glial cells. While Prl increased the activity of phosphofructokinase (PFK), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-3-PDH) and pyruvate kinase (PK) in the neural cells, it decreased the same in the glial cells. On the other hand, bromocriptine elevated the activity of all these enzymes in the neural cells without any effect on the glial cells. The activities of neural cellular glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGDH) were inhibited by Prl, whereas bromocriptine increased the same. The activities of these enzymes in the glial cells were enhanced by both Prl and bromocriptine. Thus, the present study suggests that Prl has a differential effect on the activities of enzymes involved in Embden-Meyerhoff pathway (EMP) and hexosemonophosphate shunt (HMP) in the neural and glial cells of immature male bonnet monkeys.