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Thalamic activation during slightly subphysiological glycemia in humans.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Arbeláez, AM; Rutlin, JR; Hershey, T; Powers, WJ; Videen, TO; Cryer, PE
Published in: Diabetes Care
December 2012

OBJECTIVE: The central nervous system mechanisms of defenses against falling plasma glucose concentrations, and how they go awry and result in iatrogenic hypoglycemia in diabetes, are not known. Hypoglycemic plasma glucose concentrations of 55 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L) cause symptoms, activate glucose counterregulatory systems, and increase synaptic activity in a network of brain regions including the dorsal midline thalamus in humans. We tested the hypothesis that slightly subphysiological plasma glucose concentrations of 65 mg/dL (3.6 mmol/L), which do not cause symptoms but do activate glucose counterregulatory systems, also activate brain synaptic activities. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We measured relative regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), an index of synaptic activity, in predefined brain regions with [(15)O]water positron emission tomography, symptoms, and plasma epinephrine and glucagon concentrations during a 2-h euglycemic (90 mg/dL) to hypoglycemic (55 mg/dL) clamp (n = 20) or a 2-h euglycemic to slight subphysiological (65 mg/dL) clamp (n = 9) in healthy humans. RESULTS: Clamped plasma glucose concentrations of 65 mg/dL did not cause hypoglycemic symptoms, but raised plasma epinephrine and glucagon concentrations and increased rCBF (P = 0.007) only in the dorsal midline thalamus. CONCLUSIONS: Slightly subphysiological plasma glucose concentrations increase synaptic activity in the dorsal midline thalamus in humans.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Diabetes Care

DOI

EISSN

1935-5548

Publication Date

December 2012

Volume

35

Issue

12

Start / End Page

2570 / 2574

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Thalamus
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Glucagon
  • Female
  • Epinephrine
  • Endocrinology & Metabolism
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation
  • Blood Glucose
  • Adult
 

Citation

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Arbeláez, A. M., Rutlin, J. R., Hershey, T., Powers, W. J., Videen, T. O., & Cryer, P. E. (2012). Thalamic activation during slightly subphysiological glycemia in humans. Diabetes Care, 35(12), 2570–2574. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc12-0297
Arbeláez, Ana María, Jerrel R. Rutlin, Tamara Hershey, William J. Powers, Tom O. Videen, and Philip E. Cryer. “Thalamic activation during slightly subphysiological glycemia in humans.Diabetes Care 35, no. 12 (December 2012): 2570–74. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc12-0297.
Arbeláez AM, Rutlin JR, Hershey T, Powers WJ, Videen TO, Cryer PE. Thalamic activation during slightly subphysiological glycemia in humans. Diabetes Care. 2012 Dec;35(12):2570–4.
Arbeláez, Ana María, et al. “Thalamic activation during slightly subphysiological glycemia in humans.Diabetes Care, vol. 35, no. 12, Dec. 2012, pp. 2570–74. Pubmed, doi:10.2337/dc12-0297.
Arbeláez AM, Rutlin JR, Hershey T, Powers WJ, Videen TO, Cryer PE. Thalamic activation during slightly subphysiological glycemia in humans. Diabetes Care. 2012 Dec;35(12):2570–2574.

Published In

Diabetes Care

DOI

EISSN

1935-5548

Publication Date

December 2012

Volume

35

Issue

12

Start / End Page

2570 / 2574

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Thalamus
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Glucagon
  • Female
  • Epinephrine
  • Endocrinology & Metabolism
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation
  • Blood Glucose
  • Adult