A FMRI Study to Decipher the Regional Effects of an Intraperitoneal Glucose Dose in the Fasted Rat Model

Kim O'Toole¹, Diana Cash¹, Steve C R Williams¹, Po-Wah So¹

Glucosensing neurones regulate membrane potential and firing rates in response to ambient glucose levels, and generally located in areas involved in neuroendocrine function, nutrient metabolism and energy homeostasis. Using BOLD-MRI, we have studied the effects of a single intraperitoneal glucose tolerance dose in the brain of a fasted rat model. Glucose induced BOLD-MRI signal increases in various regions of the brain, including the hypothalamus and hippocampus, which are known to contain glucosensing neurones. Thus, BOLD-MRI may be used to a non-invasive tool assess the functional role of nutrients in the brain under different physiological states.