Summary: Local CMRgl (LCMRgl) and metabolite levels were measured in the same tissue samples fol lowing 4 h of recirculation after 1 h of occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in the caL The rate of glucose utilization was calculated using direct measurement of tissue deoxyglucose-6-phosphate and using a "lumped" constant corrected in each sample for alterations in tissue glucose, Increased LCMRgl (compared with that in sham operated animals) occurred in regions with only minor alterations in levels of lactate and phosphocreatine, By contrast, LCMRgl was markedly depressed in regions Glucose is the principal substrate for energy me tabolism in brain, Measurement of the local CMRgl (LCMRgl) using the radiolabeled glucose analogue [ l4 C]2-deoxyglucose ([ l4 C]2DG) has been a valuable method for evaluating functional activity of brain tissue (Sokoloff, 1981;Greenberg and Reivich, 1983). Among numerous applications of this tech nique, there have been several reports showing a broad spectrum of changes in LCMRgl in animal studies of ischemia, ranging from marked inhibition to pronounced activation (Ginsberg et ai., 1977;Diemer and Siemkowicz, 1980; Welsh et ai., 1980a; Pulsinelli et ai., 1982; Choki et aI., 1983). In addi tion, we recently examined the flow-metabolism couple during the recovery period after cerebral ischemia in the cat (Tanaka et aI., 1985) and found Abbreviations used: 2DO, 2-deoxyglucose; 2DO-6-P, 2-deoxy glucose-6-phosphate; LC, lumped constant; LCMRgl, local CMRgI; MCA, middle cerebral artery; Pc, phosphorylation con stant.
502with major changes in lactate and high-energy phos phates, Interestingly, tissue levels of glucose and un phosphorylated deoxyglucose were abnormally elevated in regions with profound energy failure, These results in dicate an inhibition of glucose utilization in regions dam aged by ischemia, despite the persistent elevation of tissue lactate, Increased glucose metabolism at 4 h post ischemia was detected only in areas with minor anaerobic alteration of metabolite levels, Key Words: Brain glu cose-Deoxyglucose-Energy metabolism-Glucose metabolism-Ischemia-Regional metabolites, that the preservation of a normal flow/metabolism ratio was a critical factor in maintaining tissue via bility.In spite of such important contributions to the study of the metabolic function of brain tissue after ischemia, the [ l4 C]2DG method does not distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic utilization of glu cose and does not provide direct information about the energy state of the tissue. One of the aims of the present study was thus to investigate the rela tionship between the tissue concentration of var ious metabolites (ATP, phosphocreatine, lactate, and glucose) and LCMRgl as determined by the [ 14 C]2DG method during the recirculation period following ischemia. Although measurement of re gional glucose metabolism in human brain has be come feasible utilizing positron emission tomog raphy (Phelps et aI., 1979; Reivich et aI., 1979 Reivich et aI., , 1982, the imaging of regional tissue ...