Visualization and quantification of fluxes of glucose metabolic pathways in brain

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26560469
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Brain biometrics
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Sugiura Yuki 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 講師 (30590202)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): Norio Takata 慶應義塾大学, 医学部, 特任講師 (50415212) ; Kenji Tanata 慶應義塾大学, 医学部, 准教授 (30329700)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 脳代謝 / イメージング質量分析 / fMRI / グルコース代謝

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In response to a stimuli, neurons and astrocytes alter their metabolic pathways to fit their elevated energy demands. For example, it is known that a stimulation to an animal increase the amount of glucose consumption in the brain region specific manner. To understand molecular mechanism of this phenomenon, a molecular imaging approach is effective. In this research, we developed the novel flux analysis using stable isotopes in combination with MALDI- imaging mass spectrometry, as well as quantitative metabolomics. Those lead us to answer the questions including “during a neural stimulation, in what anatomical regions of the brain, is which metabolic derangement occurring?”. We finally identified a novel metabolic mediator shuttled between neurons and astrocytes up on the stimulation.

Free Research Field

分析化学