DECREASED GLUCOSE-TRANSPORTER DENSITIES, RATE CONSTANTS AND GLUCOSE-UTILIZATION IN VISUAL STRUCTURES OF RAT-BRAIN DURING CHRONIC VISUAL DEPRIVATION

The question was investigated whether local changes in glucose transpo rter densities and transport kinetics can occur when local cerebral gl ucose utilization (LCGU) is decreased in some brain structures. Unilat eral visual deprivation was induced by monocular enucleation in 25 rat s. After 1 week, the contralateral structures of the visual system wer e analyzed for (1) densities of glucose transporters Glut1 and Glut3 ( immunoautoradiography), (2) LCGU (2-[C-14]deoxyglucose method) and (3) local rate constants (3-O-[C-14]methylglucose method). The ipsilatera l structures served as controls. During chronic visual deprivation Glu t1 and Glut3 densities, LCGU and rate constants were significantly dec reased in some structures of the visual system and remained unchanged in others. These results indicate a moderate degree of downregulation of glucose transporters, LCGU and rate constants in the visual system during visual deprivation. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Irel and Ltd. All rights reserved.