Glucose availability to individual cerebral structures is correlated to glucose metabolism.

Regional cerebral glucose influx was measured using quantitative autoradiography after the intravenous infusion of [2-14C]glucose for a period of 10 or 20 s. Glucose influx varied considerably among structures over an almost threefold range. When compared with rates of regional glucose utilization, a significant correlation by region was found between glucose influx and utilization, demonstrating that the glucose supply to individual cerebral structures is closely matched to their metabolic needs.