Research report 2015 - Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research
Regulatory mechanisms of neuronal glucose uptake
Authors
Jais, Alexander; Brüning, Jens C.
Departments
Max-Planck-Institut für Stoffwechselforschung, Köln / Neuronale Kontrolle des Stoffwechsels
DOI
10.17617/1.FSummary
This study demonstrates the complex regulatory mechanisms for the maintenance of physiological glucose transport and identifies vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as critical regulator of glucose transport across the blood-brain barrier. These experiments reveal that transient, high-fat diet-elicited reduction of brain glucose uptake initiates a compensatory increase of VEGF-production and assign obesity-associated macrophage activation a homeostatic role to restore cerebral glucose metabolism, preserve cognitive function and limit neurodegeneration in obesity.