Abstract
In order to define the cerebral metabolic correlates occurring with prenatal alcohol exposure in rats we chose the autoradiographic 14C deoxyglucose method for measuring in vivo glucose utilization rates in brain (Sokoloff et al., 1977). Isocaloric liquid diets containing either 35% or 0% ethanol derived calories (EDC's) were fed (pair-feeding) to pregnant Long Evans rats during day 6 to 20 of gestation. The offspring were tested with Shuttle box avoidance techniques on day 90 and were subjected to the deoxyglucose procedures at 105 days of age. 14C labeled deoxyglucose was administered as an intravneous pulse (125 uCi / kg). Timed arterial samples were taken for determination of the time course of the arterial plasma concentrations of (14C) deoxyglucose and glucose. At 45 minutes the animals were sacrificed, the brains removed, frozen and later sectioned for autoradiography. Areas of interest were analyzed densitometrically to determine the local, concentrations of 14C in the tissues. From the local tissue C concentrations and the time courses of the plasma (14C) deoxyglucose and glucose concentrations, local rates of glucose incorporation were calculated by the opeational equation of the method. Preliminary analysis suggests that alterations in glucose metabolism occur in the posterior pituitary, supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus, ventral caudal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus, median raphe nucleus and sensory-motor cortex.
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Vingan, R., Dow-Edwards, D. & Riley, E. 1316 CEREBRAL METABOLIC ALTERATIONS IN RATS FOLLOWING ALCOHOL EXPOSURE. Pediatr Res 19, 330 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01340
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01340