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.
Department of Neurology, Box 8111, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. yamadak@neuro.wustl.edu
Kelvin A
KA
Yamada
Nicholas
N
Rensing
Liu Lin
LL
Thio
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