In vivo fMRI demonstration of hypothalamic function following intraperitoneal glucose administration in a rat model

• Published in: Magnetic resonance in medicine 2000-01, Vol.43 (1), p.155-159
• Main Authors: Mahankali, Srikanth, Liu, Yijun, Pu, Yonglin, Wang, Janey, Chen, Chun-Wen, Fox, Peter T., Gao, Jia-Hong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; glucose; Glucose - administration & dosage; Glucose - metabolism; hypothalamus; Hypothalamus - drug effects; Hypothalamus - metabolism; Image Enhancement - methods; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Nervous system; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sprague-Dawley
• ISSN: 0740-3194; 1522-2594
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1522-2594(200001)43:1<155::AID-MRM20>3.0.CO;2-5

The hypothalamic functional MRI (fMRI) response in an animal model was studied following energy intake. Six fasted (12 h) Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats were administered an intraperitoneal injection of glucose (0.72 grams/kg body weight), while a mid‐sagittal slice through the hypothalamus was continuously imaged for 60 min using a conventional T2*‐weighted gradient‐echo sequence. All rats demonstrated a significant acute transient decrease in the fMRI signal intensity (mean: 3.4%) in the hypothalamic region within 12–16 min after intraperitoneal glucose injection. The SD rat may be a suitable model for future fMRI studies of the hypothalamus involving the administration of exogenous nutrients and medications. Magn Reson Med 43:155–159, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.