Glucose metabolism in certain brain regions of spontaneously hypertensive rats in the critical period.

Contents of relevant metabolites as well as incorporation of 14C from intravenously injected radioglucose in amino acids and proteins of selected brain areas from control and spontaneously hypertensive rats were investigated at appropriate times during the early life period. Adult SH-rats--26 to 28 weeks--differed from controls in having higher contents of glucose in cortex and hypothalamus, and in the latter region only of lactate and total alpha-amino-N. Accumulation of 14C was increased slightly over control activities in cortex and pontine-medullary area, but significantly in the hypothalamus. During the critical phase of rising blood pressure--8th to 15th week--, the incorporation of glucose-14C in hypothalamic amino acids of SH-rats increased markedly over puberty phase related activity levels of control animals. Flux of 14C to hypothalamic proteins exhibited similar stimulation and time pattern of protein synthesis. The results are interpreted as evidence for stimulation of the cerebral glucose metabolism in SH-rats, especially in the hypothalamus, during the phase of developmental hypertension over puberty period metabolism of control rats.