Deoxyglucose kinetics in a rat brain tumor.

Accurate quantitation of local glucose metabolic rates (LMRglc) of abnormal tissues such as brain tumors with the 2-deoxyglucose (DG) method requires knowledge of the tissue rate constants and lumped constant. The deoxyglucose rate constants were measured in an experimental intracerebral glioma in 24 awake rats with a dual tracer [(3H)-DG and (14C)-DG] method. Tissue time points were obtained at 2, 5, 10, 18, 30, 60, 90, and 180 min after injection by decapitation and liquid scintillation counting. Blood samples were obtained at 1 min intervals initially and at longer intervals later. The rate constants were estimated with parameter estimation. LMRglc was calculated from the rate constants, assuming a lumped constant of 0.5. K1 for normal cerebrum was found to be 0.258 ml/g/min, and k2-k4 were 0.406, 0.075, and 0.0103 min-1; LMRglc = 65.1 mumol/100 g/min. The corresponding values for the glioma were 0.108, 0.126, 0.040, and 0.0019 with LMRglc = 41.7. The considerably lower k4 in the glioma was reflected in persistent higher activity in the glioma at longer times. Thus, tissue activity alone cannot be used to assess relative glucose metabolic rates in abnormal tissues such as gliomas, particularly at late times after injection.