Introducing the brain: the role of lactate (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 17:50 (485 days ago) @ David Turell

Lactate is produced by exercise:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230724122207.htm

"Lactate is a byproduct of exercise and metabolism, fueling our brain when oxygen is limited. More recently, scientists have become aware of the many roles it plays in developing our nervous system. Now, researchers have unearthed the cellular mechanisms by which lactate helps our brains develop.

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"Scientists at Tohoku University have discovered the critical role that lactate plays in helping neural stem cells develop into specialized neurons, a process dubbed neuronal differentiation. They also unearthed a means by which lactate sends signals to the cells, helping modify and strengthen neuronal functions.

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"Lactate is a byproduct of exercise and metabolism. Glucose gets converted into lactate when oxygen supplies to cells are limited, giving the brain a source of energy. Lactate levels in fetal brains increase from the middle state of gestation, highlighting the significant role it has in brain development and neuronal differentiation.

"Recent studies and reports have demonstrated that lactate is a vital component of our nervous system. They have shown that lactate functions as an important cellular signaling molecule in the nervous system, and that lactate metabolism is involved in neuronal functions, including neuroplasticity and memory consolidation. However, the role of lactate signaling in neuronal cells has, until now, remained unknown.

"'Given the growing evidence that shows lactate providing signal-regulatory functions in various cell types under physiological and pathological conditions, we hypothesized that lactate affects neuronal function through changing comprehensive gene expression," says Professor Ryoichi Nagatomi from Tohoku University's Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering.

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"The researchers tested their hypothesis by examining the gene regulation of cells treated with lactate when NDRG3, a protein previously identified to mediate gene regulation when lactate is present, was removed from neuroblastoma cell SH-SY5Y. They found that lactate helps with neural differentiation through ways that depend on NDRG3 and ways that don't. Additionally, they identified that two specific transcription factors, TEAD1 and ELF4, are controlled by both lactate and NDRG3 during neuronal differentiation."

Comment: the brain needs a constant fuel supply. The design of this system is not surprising. Early H sapiens had to be very active just to survive. Young sapiens children's activities helping to nourish their growing brains explains why this design is in place.