Effects of a continuous infusion of glycerol on the hypoxic rat were assessed by measurements of local cerebral glucose utilization and local cerebral blood flow using the quantitative autoradiographic 1-[C-14]-2-deoxyglucose and [C-14]-iodoantipyrine techniques, respectively. Local cerebral glucose utilization of the hypoxic rat was decreased in most of cerebral structures except for the amygdala, septal nucleus and the white matter. Local cerebral glucose utilization of the hypoxic rat treated with glycerol was recovered to the pattern of normal control, although glucose utilization of the nucleus raphe and locus ceruleus was accelerated. Cerebral blood flow of the hypoxic rat was elevated in almost of all measured structures. In particular, blood flow in the substantia nigra and locus ceruleus was increased significantly. The pattern of local cerebral blood flow of the hypoxic rat treated with glycerol was more analogous to that of normal control than of hypoxic rat without treatment. It is suggested that glycerol has beneficial effects by elevating local cerebral glucose utilization inhibited and decreasing local cerebral blood flow overshot on the hypoxic condition.