AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 251, Issue 2 268-R273, Copyright © 1986 by American Physiological Society
Increased hexokinase activity in forebrain of water-deprived and diabetes insipidus rats
T. L. Krukoff, W. E. Turton and F. R. Calaresu
Metabolic studies using the 2-[14C]deoxy-D-glucose and cytochrome oxidase
techniques have demonstrated changes in the activity of central sites
associated with the hypothalamoneurohypophysial system in water-deprived
(WD) and diabetes insipidus (DI) rats. Another method that may be used as
an index of metabolic activity in discrete regions of the central nervous
system is the measurement of hexokinase (HK) activity. This study describes
changes in metabolic activity, as measured by HK histochemistry, in regions
of the forebrain of WD and DI rats. Significant increases in HK activity
measured by densitometric analysis were observed in the magnocellular
component of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, supraoptic
nucleus, nucleus circularis, and neurohypophysis of WD and DI rats. In
addition, increased HK activity was observed in the preoptic area and
subfornical organ of DI rats. These data demonstrate that metabolic changes
occur in the forebrain of WD and DI rats within structures involved in body
fluid regulation. The present study also demonstrates that HK
histochemistry may be used as a marker of metabolic activity in discrete
regions of the central nervous system.
