Dynamic changes in glucose metabolism by lactate loading as revealed by a positron autoradiography technique using rat living brain slices

To demonstrate the preference of lactate over glucose as an energy substrate in normal brain tissue under normoxic condition, the dynamic changes in glucose uptake by lactate loading were investigated in living rat brain slices using a positron autoradiography technique. Fresh rat brain slices were incubated with [ 18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy- d-glucose ([ 18F]FDG) in oxygenated Krebs–Ringer solution containing 10 mM glucose at 36°C. During incubation, serial two-dimensional imaging of [ 18F]FDG uptake in the slices was constructed on the imaging plates. Lactate loading (20 mM) reversibly suppressed the [ 18F]FDG accumulation up to 80 min. Compared with the pre-loading and the unloaded control values, [ 18F]FDG uptake was suppressed to 25–45% in cerebral regions and 6–7% in cerebellum. The lactate concentration in the surrounding medium decreased after lactate loading. Hence brain tissue preferentially uses lactate over glucose under normoxic and euglycemic condition.