A Whole-Body Model for Glycogen Regulation Reveals a Critical Role for Substrate Cycling in Maintaining Blood Glucose Homeostasis
Figure 2
Diagrammatic representation of key features of the physiological model.
The general design principles of the model are based on established bioenergetic physiology [1]. The liver, placed at the center of this diagrammatic representation of “the body”, contains the glycogen circuitry which lies within hepatocytes connected to other organs by the vascular system (show in red). Blood within the vascular system travels around the body, carrying materials between the liver and other organs, with a cycle time of about one minute. Key: Gluc = glucose; FFA = free fatty acids; Ket = ketones; TAG = triacylglycerol; ACoA = acetyl CoA; Alan = alanine. Note that kidney, brain and erythrocytes are not included in the current model.