Localization of Glucokinase-Like Immunoreactivity in the Rat Lower Brain Stem: For Possible Location of Brain Glucose-Sensing Mechanisms1

作者：Fumihiko Maekawa, Yukiyasu Toyoda, Norihiro Torii, Ichitomo Miwa, Robert C. Thompson, Douglas L. Foster, Shinji Tsukahara, Hiroko Tsukamura, Kei-ichiro Maeda · 发表于：Endocrinology · 年份：2000 · DOI：10.1210/endo.141.1.7234 · 被引用次数：109 · 研究领域：Pancreatic function and diabetes、Regulation of Appetite and Obesity、Diabetes Treatment and Management

Pancreatic glucokinase (GK) is considered an important element of the glucose-sensing unit in pancreatic beta-cells. It is possible that the brain uses similar glucose-sensing units, and we employed GK immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy to examine the anatomical distribution of GK-like immunoreactivities in the rat brain. We found strong GK-like immunoreactivities in the ependymocytes, endothelial cells, and many serotonergic neurons. In the ependymocytes, the GK-like immunoreactivity was located in the cytoplasmic area, but not in the nucleus. The GK-positive ependymocytes were found to have glucose transporter-2 (GLUT2)-like immunoreactivities on the cilia. In addition, the ependymocytes had GLUT1-like immunoreactivity on the cilia and GLUT4-like immunoreactivity densely in the cytoplasmic area and slightly in the plasma membrane. In serotonergic neurons, GK-like immunoreactivity was found in the cytoplasm and their processes. The present results raise the possibility that these GK-like immunopositive cells comprise a part of a vast glucose-sensing mechanism in the brain.