Acute feedback control of astrocytic glycolysis by lactate

• Published in: Glia Vol. 60; no. 4; pp. 674 - 680
• Main Authors: Sotelo-Hitschfeld, T., FernáNdez-Moncada, I., Barros, L. F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.04.2012
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Astrocytes - cytology; Astrocytes - drug effects; Carbonyl Cyanide p-Trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone - pharmacology; Cells, Cultured; Cerebral Cortex - cytology; cytochalasin B; Cytochalasin B - pharmacology; Cytosol - drug effects; Cytosol - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Extracellular Fluid - drug effects; Extracellular Fluid - metabolism; Feedback, Physiological - drug effects; FRET; glucose; Glucose - metabolism; Glycolysis - drug effects; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Iodoacetic Acid - pharmacology; Lactic Acid - pharmacology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred CBA; nanosensor; potassium; Potassium - pharmacology; Proton Ionophores - pharmacology; Rotenone - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0894-1491; 1098-1136
• DOI: 10.1002/glia.22304

Neuronal activity is accompanied by a rapid increase in interstitial lactate, which is hypothesized to serve as a fuel for neurons and a signal for local vasodilation. Using FRET microscopy, we report here that the rate of glycolysis in cultured mice astrocytes can be acutely modulated by physiological changes in extracellular lactate. Glycolytic inhibition by lactate was not accompanied by detectable variations in intracellular pH or intracellular ATP and was not dependent of mitochondrial function. Pyruvate was also inhibitory, suggesting that the effect of lactate is not mediated by the NADH/NAD+ ratio. We propose that lactate serves as a fast negative feedback signal limiting its own production by astrocytes and therefore the amplitude of the lactate surge. The inhibition of glucose usage by lactate was much stronger in resting astrocytes than in K+‐stimulated astrocytes, which suggests that lactate may also help diverting glucose from resting to active zones. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.