Cerebral glycogen in humans following acute and recurrent hypoglycemia: Implications on a role in hypoglycemia unawareness.
Supercompensated brain glycogen levels may contribute to the development of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure (HAAF) following recurrent hypoglycemia (RH) by providing energy for the brain during subsequent periods of hypoglycemia. To assess the role of glycogen supercompensation in the generation of HAAF, we estimated the level of brain glycogen following RH and acute hypoglycemia (AH). After undergoing 3 hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic and 3 hyperinsulinemic, hypoglycemic clamps (RH) on separate occasions at least 1 month apart, five healthy volunteers received [1-13C]glucose intravenously over 80+ h while maintaining euglycemia.13C-glycogen levels in the occipital lobe were measured by13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy at ∼8, 20, 32, 44, 56, 68 and 80 h at 4 T and glycogen levels estimated by fitting the data with a biophysical model that takes into account the tiered glycogen structure. Similarly, prior13C-glycogen data obtained following a single hypoglycemic episode (AH) were fitted with the same model. Glycogen levels did not significantly increase after RH relative to after euglycemia, while they increased by ∼16% after AH relative to after euglycemia. These data suggest that glycogen supercompensation may be blunted with repeated hypoglycemic episodes. A causal relationship between glycogen supercompensation and generation of HAAF remains to be established.
1 Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Gülin
G
Öz
2 Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Mauro
M
DiNuzzo
3 Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Anjali
A
Kumar
3 Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Amir
A
Moheet
3 Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Ameer
A
Khowaja
4 Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Kristine
K
Kubisiak
4 Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Lynn E
LE
Eberly
3 Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Elizabeth R
ER
Seaquist
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D012008:Recurrence
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D006003:Glycogen
13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy; biophysical modeling; glycogen; hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure; supercompensation