Effect of 2-deoxy-D-glucose on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in rats.

The intraperitoneal administration to rats of 500 mg/kg body weight of 2-deoxy-D-glucose, an analog of glucose which produces intracellular glucopenia with rise in extracellular fluid glucose concentration, is followed by a significant though transient reduction of hypothalamic TRH content, observed at 15 and 25 minutes after drug administration. A subsequent increase in serum thyrotropin followed by that of triiodothyronine concentration was also observed. These findings indicate that the neuroglucopenia induced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose may play a role in the regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis.