Belfort-DeAguiar R, Gallezot JD, Hwang JJ, Elshafie A, Yeckel CW, Chan O, Carson RE, Ding YS, Sherwin RS. Noradrenergic Activity in the Human Brain: A Mechanism Supporting the Defense Against Hypoglycemia.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2018;
103:2244-2252. [PMID:
29590401 PMCID:
PMC6456998 DOI:
10.1210/jc.2017-02717]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT
Hypoglycemia, one of the major factors limiting optimal glycemic control in insulin-treated patients with diabetes, elicits a brain response to restore normoglycemia by activating counterregulation. Animal data indicate that local release of norepinephrine (NE) in the hypothalamus is important for triggering hypoglycemia-induced counterregulatory (CR) hormonal responses.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the potential role of brain noradrenergic (NA) activation in humans during hypoglycemia.
DESIGN
A hyperinsulinemic-hypoglycemic clamp was performed in conjunction with positron emission tomographic imaging.
PARTICIPANTS
Nine lean healthy volunteers were studied during the hyperinsulinemic-hypoglycemic clamp.
DESIGN
Participants received intravenous injections of (S,S)-[11C]O-methylreboxetine ([11C]MRB), a highly selective NE transporter (NET) ligand, at baseline and during hypoglycemia.
RESULTS
Hypoglycemia increased plasma epinephrine, glucagon, cortisol, and growth hormone and decreased [11C]MRB binding potential (BPND) by 24% ± 12% in the raphe nucleus (P < 0.01). In contrast, changes in [11C]MRB BPND in the hypothalamus positively correlated with increments in epinephrine and glucagon levels and negatively correlated with glucose infusion rate (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, in rat hypothalamus studies, hypoglycemia induced NET translocation from the cytosol to the plasma membrane.
CONCLUSIONS
Insulin-induced hypoglycemia initiated a complex brain NA response in humans. Raphe nuclei, a region involved in regulating autonomic output, motor activity, and hunger, had increased NA activity, whereas the hypothalamus showed a NET-binding pattern that was associated with the individual's CR response magnitude. These findings suggest that NA output most likely is important for modulating brain responses to hypoglycemia in humans.
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