Effect of 2-deoxy-D-glucose on aminoacids metabolism in rats' cerebral cortex slices

Propylthiouracil-induced hypothyroidism during lactation alters leucine and mannose metabolism in rat cerebellar slices

Thyroid hormone deficiency during perinatal development results in significant alterations in neurological functions. The relationship between such events and brain metabolism is not completely understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hypothyroidism on leucine, mannose, glucose and lactate metabolism in rat cerebellar slices. Experimental hypothyroidism was induced by exposing mothers and pups to propylthiouracil (PTU) until weaning - postnatal day 21. Metabolic analyses were performed in postnatal day 10 (PND10) and 21 (PND21) animals. A matching group of animals received the same oral treatment also after weaning until adulthood PND60 with T3 supplement during lactation (P1-P21). In PND21 animals, PTU treatment significantly increased the rate of leucine oxidation to CO2, although glucose and lactate oxidations were not affected. PTU treatment also increased the oxidation of leucine to CO2 at PND60 (adult animals). PND10 hypothyroidism animals showed a decrease in conversion of mannose to glycolipids and glycoprotein compared with the control group. However, PTU treatment increased the conversion of mannose to glycolipids and glycoprotein in PND21 animals. The replacement of T3 normalized mannose and leucine metabolism in adult rats. These results indicate that deficits in thyroid hormones during lactation could delay or alter brain development and metabolism.

Can reducing sugar retard kindling?

2-Deoxy-d-Glucose Reduces Epilepsy Progression by NRSF-CtBP-Dependent Metabolic Regulation of Chromatin Structure. Garriga-Canut M, Schoenike B, Qazi R, Bergendahl K, Daley TJ, Pfender RM, Morrison JF, Ockuly J, Stafstrom C, Sutula T, Roopra A. Nat Neurosci 2006;9(11):1382–1387. Temporal lobe epilepsy is a common form of drug-resistant epilepsy that sometimes responds to dietary manipulation such as the ‘ketogenic diet’. Here we have investigated the effects of the glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2DG) in the rat kindling model of temporal lobe epilepsy. We show that 2DG potently reduces the progression of kindling and blocks seizure-induced increases in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor, TrkB. This reduced expression is mediated by the transcription factor NRSF, which recruits the NADH-binding co-repressor CtBP to generate a repressive chromatin environment around the BDNF promoter. Our results show that 2DG has anticonvulsant and antiepileptic properties, suggesting that anti-glycolytic compounds may represent a new class of drugs for treating epilepsy. The metabolic regulation of neuronal genes by CtBP will open avenues of therapy for neurological disorders and cancer.