Figure 4.

The cerebral glucose uptake (CGU) elicited by sensory stimulation was intact in elderly TGF mice compared with wild-type (WT) littermates, and there was no effect of pioglitazone (pio). Ratios of standard uptake value (SUV) in the activated somatosensory cortex (contralateral to whisker stimulation) relative to the analogous ipsilateral cortex were comparable among all groups. There was a tendency for reduced striatal uptake associated with TGF-β1 overexpression and pio treatment in WT mice, respectively, confirming the basal hypometabolism reported in this model (Galea et al, 2006) and induced by pio (n=4 to 7 mice per group). Corresponding anatomic levels across groups were selected on the metabolic PET images using average WT and TGF MRI templates as guides. The enlarged ventricles seen in TGF brains have been reported in this model (Wyss-Coray et al, 1995). SUV scales were slightly adjusted to highlight activation ratios (arrows) in individual groups rather than the global differences across groups. Scans from representative mice are shown. Error bars represent s.e.m.