Ketogenic diet reduces hypoglycemia-induced neuronal death in young rats.
Hypoglycemia is an important complication of insulin treatment in diabetic children and may contribute to lasting cognitive impairment. Previous studies demonstrated that 21-day-old rats (P21) subjected to brief, repetitive episodes of hypoglycemia sustain cortical neuronal death. The developing brain is capable of utilizing alternative energy substrates acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate. In these studies we tested the hypothesis that the developing brain adapted to ketone utilization and provided with ketones during hypoglycemia by eating a ketogenic diet would sustain less brain injury compared to littermates fed a standard diet. Supporting this hypothesis, P21 rats weaned to a ketogenic diet and subjected to insulin-induced hypoglycemia at P25 had significantly less neuronal death than rats on a standard diet. This animal model may provide insight into the determinants influencing the brain's susceptibility to hypoglycemic injury.
Yamada
Kelvin A
KA
Department of Neurology, Box 8111, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. yamadak@neuro.wustl.edu
Rensing
Nicholas
N
Thio
Liu Lin
LL
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects*; D004032:Diet; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000178:diet therapy*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D007328:Insulin / Q000633:toxicity; D007659:Ketones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008911:Minocycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D007659:Ketones; D008911:Minocycline