Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Methods to Study Hepatic Glucose Metabolism and Their Applications in the Healthy and Diabetic Liver

The liver plays an important role in whole-body glucose homeostasis by taking up glucose from and releasing glucose into the blood circulation. In the postprandial state, excess glucose in the blood circulation is stored in hepatocytes as glycogen. In the postabsorptive state, the liver produces glucose by breaking down glycogen and from noncarbohydrate precursors such as lactate. In metabolic diseases such as diabetes, these processes are dysregulated, resulting in abnormal blood glucose levels. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) are noninvasive techniques that give unique insight into different aspects of glucose metabolism, such as glycogenesis, glycogenolysis, and gluconeogenesis, in the liver in vivo. Using these techniques, liver glucose metabolism has been studied in regard to a variety of interventions, such as fasting, meal intake, and exercise. Moreover, deviations from normal hepatic glucose metabolism have been investigated in both patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes, as well as the effects of antidiabetic medications. This review provides an overview of current MR techniques to measure hepatic glucose metabolism and the insights obtained by the application of these techniques in the healthy and diabetic liver

Efficacy of L-Carnitine Administration on Lungs of Neonatal Rats Exposed to Hyperoxia

Oxygen toxicity is believed to play a prominent role in the lung injury that leads to the development of bonchopulmonary dysplasia. L-carnitine (LCAR) is an antioxidant and prevents the accumulation of end products of lipid peroxidation, acts as a free radical scavenger and protects cells from reactive oxygen species. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of LCAR on the histopathologic characteristics of oxygen-induced lung injury. Thirty one rat pups were divided into 4 groups: Healthy control group (group 1, n = 8), hyperoxia-exposed group (group 2, n = 7), hyperoxia-exposed and 100 mg kg(-1) LCAR-treated group (goup 3, n = 10), hyperoxia-exposed and 200 mg kg(-1) LCAR-treated group (goup 4, n = 6). Although in group given 100 mg kg(-1) LCAR together with hyperoxia-exposure, it was observed some improvement, histopathologic findings obtained from animals treated with 200 mg kg(-1) LCAR were similar to normal surprisingly. In conclusion, it should be focused on more the possible protective effect mechanism of LCAR and it should be made more effort to be able to use it in routine

Protective effect of L-carnitine in a rat model of retinopathy of prematurity

Conclusion: LC has beneficial effects on oxygen-induced retinopathy in rats in terms of histopathological changes and MDA levels