Cholinergic and metabolic effects of metformin in mouse brain.

Metformin is widely used as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes, but central effects of metformin have received little attention. When metformin (200 mg/kg i.p.

Food-Induced Increase of Acetylcholine in Mouse Hypothalamus.

Using microdialysis in C57Bl6 mice, we monitored cholinergic activity in the hypothalamus. Food intake after an overnight fast caused a 3-fold increase of extracellular acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations in the hypothalamus. The effect lasted for about 30 min.

Microdialysis and its use in behavioural studies: Focus on acetylcholine.

Microdialysis is a technique that allows access to the extracellular space of many tissues. For behavioural studies, microdialysis probes are inserted into the brain under anesthesia, but the experiment can be done in awake and freely moving animals. Microdialysis is a sampling method (not a measuring method), therefore, the analyte(s) under study must be quantified from the dialysate using available analytical methods of high sensitivity.

Hepatic Ketogenesis Induced by Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Mice.

Background: Ketone bodies are known to substitute for glucose as brain fuel when glucose availability is low. Ketogenic diets have been described as neuroprotective. Similar data have been reported for triheptanoin, a fatty oil and anaplerotic compound.