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 gene...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism 2017-08, Vol.37 (8), p.2883-2893
Main Authors: Öz, Gülin, DiNuzzo, Mauro, Kumar, Anjali, Moheet, Amir, Khowaja, Ameer, Kubisiak, Kristine, Eberly, Lynn E, Seaquist, Elizabeth R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Physiological
Adult
Blood Glucose - analysis
Brain - metabolism
Carbon Isotopes
Glycogen - metabolism
Healthy Volunteers
Humans
Hypoglycemia - blood
Hypoglycemia - diagnosis
Hypoglycemia - metabolism
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Male
Models, Biological
Original
Recurrence
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Summary: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 by 13C 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, prior 13C-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.
ISSN:0271-678X
1559-7016
DOI:10.1177/0271678X16678240