The effect of early postnatal hypoxia on the regional cerebral utilization of glucose in adult rats.

The purpose of this study was to establish if there are any later changes in the local cerebral energy metabolism after exposing 1-day-old rats for 5 days (10 hr daily) to hypobaric hypoxia (pO2 = 10.5 kPa). For this study the 2-[14C]deoxyglucose method for the determination of the regional utilization of glucose in the rat brain was employed. The results, obtained in 41 cerebral structures, show that rats subjected to an early postnatal hypoxia exhibit a significant decrease (-41%) 3 months later in the utilization of glucose in the CA, area of the hippocampus. This finding is a new one in the chain of several biochemical and behavioral changes observed in this experimental model. It is suggested that this finding could be useful in the search for a new therapeutic agent eventually able to alleviate the consequences of perinatal hypoxia.