Glucose transporters, hexokinase, and phosphofructokinase in brain of rats with perinatal asphyxia.

Transport by glucose transporters from blood to the brain during hypoxic-ischemic conditions is well studied. However, the recent availability of a clinically related animal model of perinatal asphyxia and the fact that no concomitant determination of glucose transporters, parameters for glucose utilization, brain glucose, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) have been reported and the early phase of perinatal asphyxia has never been studied led us to perform the following study. Cesarean section was performed on full-term pregnant rats. The obtained pups within patent uterus horns were placed into a water bath at 37 degrees C from which they were subsequently removed after 5-20 min of graded asphyxia. Brain pH, brain tissue glucose, CBF, mRNA and activity of hexokinase and phosphofructokinase, and mRNA and protein of the glucose transporters GLUTI and GLUT3 were determined. Brain pH decreased and brain tissue glucose and CBF increased with the length of the asphyctic period; hexokinase and phosphofructokinase mRNA and activity were unchanged during the observation period. The mRNA and protein of both glucose transporters were comparable between normoxic and asphyctic groups. We show that glucose transport and utilization are unchanged in the early phase of perinatal asphyxia at a time point when CBF and brain glucose are already significantly increased and severe acidosis is present.