title: Rat brain glucose and energy metabolites: effect of +Gz (head-to-foot inertial load) exposure in a small animal centrifuge.
abstract: A unique small animal centrifuge with on-line physiological monitoring and brain tissue collection (in < 1 s) capability was used to investigate the effect of increasing +Gz levels, exposure duration, number of exposures, and time course of metabolic changes in the rat brain. To determine the +Gz tolerance, rats were exposed to +7.5 to 25 Gz (30 s each) and EEG was monitored. G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) defined as isoelectric EEG (I-EEG) occurred only at +22.5 and 25 Gz within 14.5 +/- 3 s. To study the effect of increasing +Gz levels on metabolism, rats were exposed to either 0.5 (control) or +7.5 to 25 Gz (30 s each), and brains were collected 1 min postcentrifugation by freeze fixation. A significant increase in lactate (> or = +7.5 Gz) and a decrease in glucose, creatine phosphate (Cr-P), and ATP levels were observed at +15 Gz and higher. The effect of exposure duration was investigated by exposing the rats to +22.5 Gz for 15-60 s. Brain lactate levels increased six-fold while glucose decreased (75%) following the 60-s exposure. The level of Cr-P and ATP decreased significantly after the 15- and 30-s exposures with no further changes at longer +Gz exposures. For time course studies, brains were collected both during (5-35 s) and after (1-15 min) a +25 Gz exposure. A significant decrease in Cr-P occurred within 5 s, but changes in glucose, ATP, and lactate required 15 s. All metabolites returned to control levels within 3 min, except lactate and adenosine, which required 15 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Operational Technologies Corporation, Krug Life Sciences, Armstrong Laboratory, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Shahed
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Werchan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002498:Centrifugation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006112:Gravitation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005947:Glucose