Impact of Fasting in the Brain Energy Metabolism in Mice

Motivation: Fasting is used in weight loss but its impact on brain activity is not well understood. Goal(s): To assess the impact of prolonged fasting on the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in the brain. Approach: Infuse [1,6-13C2]glucose in mice fasted for 4h to 60h, and measure 13C labeling of brain metabolites by 1H-[13C]-NMR spectroscopy. Results: The glutamatergic neurometabolic activity was reduced in the cerebral cortex of mice fasted for 60 h. Impact: These findings can be used for modifying the fasting paradigm in different interventions involving fasting.