Mechanisms of hypoglycaemic damage in developing brain- a protective role for the insulin-like growth factor system

Funded Activity Summary

The developing brain in the newborn infant or young child is vulnerable to many damaging influences. It is highly dependent on its essential fuel, glucose. Hypoglycemia, or lack of glucose availability, is therefore among the most damaging insults to the young brain, potentially leading to learning difficulties, developmental delay, cerebral palsy or epilepsy. Babies born premature or very small are at risk, as are those exposed to excessive insulin, such as infants of diabetic mothers. Children with diabetes are also at risk, when their therapy with insulin may at times be excessive, leading to hypoglycaemia and impaired glucose availability for the brain. This proposal is examining at the cellular level the mechanisms involved in loss of brain cells in the face of glucose starvation in these various conditions. We are using several in vitro models where we can grow segments of developing mouse brain or human nerve cells in a dish, compared to studies with mice subjected to low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). After establishing that our laboratory models are representative of the whole animal, we will explore the cellular mechanisms involved in neuronal death following hypoglycaemia, particularly the interaction between the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and other cell survival genes. We will also examine the possibility that treatment with IGF will reduce the loss of nerves in the brain after an episode of hypoglycemia. This may offer new and effective early treatment for this damaging brain injury in both newborn babies and children with insulin-dependent diabetes.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2001

End Date: 01-01-2003

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $408,055.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Nutritional science

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Brain damage in new born hypoglycaemia | Glycaemic control and hypoglycaemia in juvenile diabetes | In vivo animal model of insulin-induced hypoglycaemia | Insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in juvenile diabetes | Neuronal degeneration & apoptosis in neuronal cells | Neuronal degeneration and loss of brain function | Neuroprotective therapies for hypoglycaemia | Newborn hypoglycaemia | Preventive and rescue therapies with IGF-I in hypoglycaemia

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