Effect of acute hyperglycemia on moderately hypothermic GL261 mouse glioma monitored by T1-weighted DCE MRI

Objective We sought to evaluate the effects of acute hyperglycemia induced by intraperitoneal injection of glucose (2.7 g/kg) on vascular delivery to GL261 mouse gliomas kept at moderate hypothermia (~30 °C). Materials and methods Seven GL261 glioma-bearing mice were studied by T1-weighted DCE MRI before and after an injection of glucose ( n = 4) or saline ( n = 3). Maximum relative contrast enhancement (RCE) and initial area under the enhancement curve (IAUC) were determined in each pixel. Results The mean tumor parameter values showed no significant changes after injecting either saline (RCE −5.9 ± 5.0 %; IAUC −3.7 ± 3.6 %) or glucose (RCE −1.6 ± 9.0 %; IAUC +0.6 ± 6.4 %). Pixel-by-pixel analysis revealed small post-injection changes in RCE and IAUC between the glucose and saline groups, all within 13 % range of their baseline values. Conclusion Perturbing the metabolism of GL261 tumors kept at moderate hypothermia with hyperglycemia did not induce significant changes in the permeability/perfusion of these tumors. This is relevant for future studies with this model since regional differences in glucose accumulation could thus reflect basal heterogeneities in vasculature and/or metabolism of GL261 tumors.