This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hofer, R. E. Articles by Lanier, W. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hofer, R. E. Articles by Lanier, W. L.

Stroke, Vol 22, 505-509, Copyright © 1991 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Effects of insulin on blood, plasma, and brain glucose in hyperglycemic diabetic rats

RE Hofer and WL Lanier
Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. 55905.

This study, in biologically bred hyperglycemic diabetic rats, examined the effect of a intravenous insulin infusion (1.5 units.hr-1) on blood, plasma, and brain glucose concentrations to determine their relationship during decreasing blood and plasma glucose levels. The data were compared to saline-treated diabetic rats and saline-treated nondiabetic littermates. The volume and duration of the treatment infusion were similar in all groups. Insulin infusion in diabetic rats produced the expected reduction in blood and plasma glucose, and normoglycemia was produced within 78 +/- 37 minutes (mean +/- SD). However, once normoglycemia was achieved, brain glucose was still significantly greater by 44% than in nondiabetic rats (p = 0.015). Moreover, the ratio of brain to plasma glucose was more than 50% greater in diabetic than nondiabetic rats, irrespective of whether or not they received insulin (p less than 0.01). We conclude that measurement of blood or plasma glucose in diabetic subjects will tend to underestimate the amount of glucose in the brain and that this relationship is not influenced by acute insulin therapy.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. R. Seaquist, G. S. Damberg, I. Tkac, and R. Gruetter The Effect of Insulin on In Vivo Cerebral Glucose Concentrations and Rates of Glucose Transport/Metabolism in Humans Diabetes, October 1, 2001; 50(10): 2203 - 2209. [Abstract] [Full Text]