Glutamate mediates acute glucose transport inhibition in hippocampal neurons

Lactate metabolism and histone lactylation in the central nervous system disorders: impacts and molecular mechanisms

Brain takes up approximately 20% of the total body oxygen and glucose consumption due to its relatively high energy demand. Glucose is one of the major sources to generate ATP, the process of which can be realized via glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, pentose phosphate pathways and others. Lactate serves as a hub molecule amid these metabolic pathways, as it may function as product of glycolysis, substrate of a variety of enzymes and signal molecule. Thus, the roles of lactate in central nervous system (CNS) diseases need to be comprehensively elucidated. Histone lactylation is a novel lactate-dependent epigenetic modification that plays an important role in immune regulation and maintaining homeostasis. However, there's still a lack of studies unveiling the functions of histone lactylation in the CNS. In this review, we first comprehensively reviewed the roles lactate plays in the CNS under both physiological and pathological conditions. Subsequently, we've further discussed the functions of histone lactylation in various neurological diseases. Furthermore, future perspectives regarding histone lactylation and its therapeutic potentials in stroke are also elucidated, which may possess potential clinical applications.

Variable bioenergetic sensitivity of neurons and astrocytes to insulin and extracellular glucose

Energy flow within cellular elements of the brain is a well-orchestrated, tightly regulated process, however, details underlying these functions at the single-cell level are still poorly understood. Studying hypometabolism in aging and neurodegenerative diseases may benefit from experimentation on unicellular bioenergetics. Here, we examined energy status in neurons and astrocytes using mixed hippocampal cultures and PercevalHR, an ATP:ADP nanosensor. We assessed exposures of several compounds including KCl, glutamate, FCCP, insulin, and glucose. A mitochondrial stress test was performed, and PercevalHR's fluorescence was corrected for pH using pHrodo. Results demonstrate that PercevalHR can reliably report on the energetic status of two cell types that communicate in a mixed-culture setting. While KCl, glutamate, and FCCP showed clear changes in PercevalHR fluorescence, insulin and glucose responses were found to be more subtle and sensitive to extracellular glucose. These results may highlight mechanisms that mediate insulin sensitivity in the brain.

The potential mechanisms of lactate in mediating exercise-enhanced cognitive function: a dual role as an energy supply substrate and a signaling molecule

Lactate has previously been considered a metabolic waste and is mainly involved in exercise-induced fatigue. However, recent studies have found that lactate may be a mediator of the beneficial effects of exercise on brain health. Lactate plays a dual role as an energy supply substrate and a signaling molecule in this process. On the one hand, astrocytes can uptake circulating glucose or degrade glycogen for glycolysis to produce lactate, which is released into the extracellular space. Neurons can uptake extracellular lactate as an important supplement to their energy metabolism substrates, to meet the demand for large amounts of energy when synaptic activity is enhanced. Thus, synaptic activity and energy transfer show tight metabolic coupling. On the other hand, lactate acts as a signaling molecule to activate downstream signaling transduction pathways by specific receptors, inducing the expression of immediate early genes and cerebral angiogenesis. Moderate to high-intensity exercise not only increases lactate production and accumulation in muscle and blood but also promotes the uptake of skeletal muscle-derived lactate by the brain and enhances aerobic glycolysis to increase brain-derived lactate production. Furthermore, exercise regulates the expression or activity of transporters and enzymes involved in the astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle to maintain the efficiency of this process; exercise also activates lactate receptor HCAR1, thus affecting brain plasticity. Rethinking the role of lactate in cognitive function and the regulatory effect of exercise is the main focus and highlights of the review. This may enrich the theoretical basis of lactate-related to promote brain health during exercise, and provide new perspectives for promoting a healthy aging strategy.

Neuron-glia (mis)interactions in brain energy metabolism during aging

Life expectancy in humans is increasing, resulting in a growing aging population, that is accompanied by an increased disposition to develop cognitive deterioration. Hypometabolism is one of the multiple factors related to inefficient brain function during aging. This review emphasizes the metabolic interactions between glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia) and neurons, particularly, during aging. Glial cells provide support and protection to neurons allowing adequate synaptic activity. We address metabolic coupling from the expression of transporters, availability of substrates, metabolic pathways, and mitochondrial activity. In aging, the main metabolic exchange machinery is altered with inefficient levels of nutrients and detrimental mitochondrial activity that results in high reactive oxygen species levels and reduced ATP production, generating a highly inflammatory environment that favors deregulated cell death. Here, we provide an overview of the glial-to-neuron mechanisms, from the molecular components to the cell types, emphasizing aging as the crucial risk factor for developing neurodegenerative/neuroinflammatory diseases.

Recent insights on astrocyte mechanisms in CNS homeostasis, pathology, and repair

Astrocytes play essential roles in development, homeostasis, injury, and repair of the central nervous system (CNS). Their development is tightly regulated by distinct spatial and temporal cues during embryogenesis and into adulthood throughout the CNS. Astrocytes have several important responsibilities such as regulating blood flow and permeability of the blood-CNS barrier, glucose metabolism and storage, synapse formation and function, and axon myelination. In CNS pathologies, astrocytes also play critical parts in both injury and repair mechanisms. Upon injury, they undergo a robust phenotypic shift known as "reactive astrogliosis," which results in both constructive and deleterious outcomes. Astrocyte activation and migration at the site of injury provides an early defense mechanism to minimize the extent of injury by enveloping the lesion area. However, astrogliosis also contributes to the inhibitory microenvironment of CNS injury and potentiate secondary injury mechanisms, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and glutamate excitotoxicity, which facilitate neurodegeneration in CNS pathologies. Intriguingly, reactive astrocytes are increasingly a focus in current therapeutic strategies as their activation can be modulated toward a neuroprotective and reparative phenotype. This review will discuss recent advancements in knowledge regarding the development and role of astrocytes in the healthy and pathological CNS. We will also review how astrocytes have been genetically modified to optimize their reparative potential after injury, and how they may be transdifferentiated into neurons and oligodendrocytes to promote repair after CNS injury and neurodegeneration.

Metabolic compartmentalization between astroglia and neurons in physiological and pathophysiological conditions of the neurovascular unit

Astroglia or astrocytes, the most abundant cells in the brain, are interposed between neuronal synapses and microvasculature in the brain gray matter. They play a pivotal role in brain metabolism as well as in the regulation of cerebral blood flow, taking advantage of their unique anatomical location. In particular, the astroglial cellular metabolic compartment exerts supportive roles in dedicating neurons to the generation of action potentials and protects them against oxidative stress associated with their high energy consumption. An impairment of normal astroglial function, therefore, can lead to numerous neurological disorders including stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, and neuroimmunological diseases, in which metabolic derangements accelerate neuronal damage. The neurovascular unit (NVU), the major components of which include neurons, microvessels, and astroglia, is a conceptual framework that was originally used to better understand the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia. At present, the NVU is a tool for understanding normal brain physiology as well as the pathophysiology of numerous neurological disorders. The metabolic responses of astroglia in the NVU can be either protective or deleterious. This review focuses on three major metabolic compartments: (i) glucose and lactate; (ii) fatty acid and ketone bodies; and (iii) D- and L-serine. Both the beneficial and the detrimental roles of compartmentalization between neurons and astroglia will be discussed. A better understanding of the astroglial metabolic response in the NVU is expected to lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for diverse neurological diseases.

Intertwined ROS and Metabolic Signaling at the Neuron-Astrocyte Interface

Metabolism and redox signalling share critical nodes in the nervous system. In the last years, a series of major findings have challenged the current vision on how neural reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced and handled in the nervous system. Once regarded as deleterious by-products, ROS are now shown to be essential for a metabolic and redox crosstalk. In turn, this coupling defines neural viability and function to control behaviour or leading to neurodegeneration when compromised. Findings like a different assembly of mitochondrial respiratory supercomplexes in neurons and astrocytes stands behind a divergent production of ROS in either cell type, more prominent in astrocytes. ROS levels are however tightly controlled by an antioxidant machinery in astrocytes, assumed as more efficient than that of neurons, to regulate redox signalling. By exerting this control in ROS abundance, metabolic functions are finely tuned in both neural cells. Further, a higher engagement of mitochondrial respiration and oxidative function in neurons, underpinned by redox equivalents supplied from the pentose phosphate pathway and from glia, differs from the otherwise strong glycolytic capacity of astrocytes. Here, we recapitulate major findings on how ROS and metabolism differ between neural cells but merge to define reciprocal signalling pathways, ultimately defining neural function and fate.

Aerobic Glycolysis in the Brain: Warburg and Crabtree Contra Pasteur

Information processing is onerous. Curiously, active brain tissue does not fully oxidize glucose and instead generates a local surplus of lactate, a phenomenon termed aerobic glycolysis. Why engage in inefficient ATP production by glycolysis when energy demand is highest and oxygen is plentiful? Aerobic glycolysis is associated to classic biochemical effects known by the names of Pasteur, Warburg and Crabtree. Here we discuss these three interdependent phenomena in brain cells, in light of high-resolution data of neuronal and astrocytic metabolism in culture, tissue slices and in vivo, acquired with genetically-encoded fluorescent sensors. These sensors are synthetic proteins that can be targeted to specific cell types and subcellular compartments, which change their fluorescence in response to variations in metabolite concentration. A major site of acute aerobic glycolysis is the astrocyte. In this cell, a Crabtree effect triggered by K⁺ coincides with a Warburg effect mediated by NO, superimposed on a slower longer-lasting Warburg effect caused by glutamate and possibly by NH₄⁺. The compounded outcome is that more fuel (lactate) and more oxygen are made available to neurons, on demand. Meanwhile neurons consume both glucose and lactate, maintaining a strict balance between glycolysis and respiration, commanded by the Na⁺ pump. We conclude that activity-dependent Warburg and Crabtree effects in brain tissue, and the resulting aerobic glycolysis, do not reflect inefficient energy generation but the marshalling of astrocytes for the purpose of neuronal ATP generation. It remains to be seen whether neurons contribute to aerobic glycolysis under physiological conditions.

Computational singular perturbation analysis of brain lactate metabolism

Lactate in the brain is considered an important fuel and signalling molecule for neuronal activity, especially during neuronal activation. Whether lactate is shuttled from astrocytes to neurons or from neurons to astrocytes leads to the contradictory Astrocyte to Neuron Lactate Shuttle (ANLS) or Neuron to Astrocyte Lactate Shuttle (NALS) hypotheses, both of which are supported by extensive, but indirect, experimental evidence. This work explores the conditions favouring development of ANLS or NALS phenomenon on the basis of a model that can simulate both by employing the two parameter sets proposed by Simpson et al. (J Cereb. Blood Flow Metab., 27:1766, 2007) and Mangia et al. (J of Neurochemistry, 109:55, 2009). As most mathematical models governing brain metabolism processes, this model is multi-scale in character due to the wide range of time scales characterizing its dynamics. Therefore, we utilize the Computational Singular Perturbation (CSP) algorithm, which has been used extensively in multi-scale systems of reactive flows and biological systems, to identify components of the system that (i) generate the characteristic time scale and the fast/slow dynamics, (ii) participate to the expressions that approximate the surfaces of equilibria that develop in phase space and (iii) control the evolution of the process within the established surfaces of equilibria. It is shown that a decisive factor on whether the ANLS or NALS configuration will develop during neuronal activation is whether the lactate transport between astrocytes and interstitium contributes to the fast dynamics or not. When it does, lactate is mainly generated in astrocytes and the ANLS hypothesis is realised, while when it doesn't, lactate is mainly generated in neurons and the NALS hypothesis is realised. This scenario was tested in exercise conditions.

Quantitative in vivo imaging of neuronal glucose concentrations with a genetically encoded fluorescence lifetime sensor

Glucose is an essential source of energy for the brain. Recently, the development of genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors has allowed real time visualization of glucose dynamics from individual neurons and astrocytes. A major difficulty for this approach, even for ratiometric sensors, is the lack of a practical method to convert such measurements into actual concentrations in ex vivo brain tissue or in vivo. Fluorescence lifetime imaging provides a strategy to overcome this. In a previous study, we reported the lifetime glucose sensor iGlucoSnFR-TS (then called SweetieTS) for monitoring changes in neuronal glucose levels in response to stimulation. This genetically encoded sensor was generated by combining the Thermus thermophilus glucose-binding protein with a circularly permuted variant of the monomeric fluorescent protein T-Sapphire. Here, we provide more details on iGlucoSnFR-TS design and characterization, as well as pH and temperature sensitivities. For accurate estimation of glucose concentrations, the sensor must be calibrated at the same temperature as the experiments. We find that when the extracellular glucose concentration is in the range 2-10 mM, the intracellular glucose concentration in hippocampal neurons from acute brain slices is ~20% of the nominal external glucose concentration (~0.4-2 mM). We also measured the cytosolic neuronal glucose concentration in vivo, finding a range of ~0.7-2.5 mM in cortical neurons from awake mice.

Lactate: A Novel Signaling Molecule in Synaptic Plasticity and Drug Addiction

l-Lactate is emerging as a crucial regulatory nexus for energy metabolism in the brain and signaling transduction in synaptic plasticity, memory processes, and drug addiction instead of being merely a waste by-product of anaerobic glycolysis. In this review, the role of lactate in various memory processes, synapse plasticity and drug addiction on the basis of recent studies is summarized and discussed. To this end, three main parts are presented: first, lactate as an energy substrate in energy metabolism of the brain is described; second, lactate as a novel signaling molecule in synaptic plasticity, neural circuits, memory, and drug addiction is described; and third, in light of the above descriptions, it is plausible to speculate that lactate is predominantly a signaling molecule in specific memory processes and partly acts as an energy substrate. The future perspective in lactate signaling involving microglia and associated precise signaling pathways in the brain is highlighted.

Non-Canonical Control of Neuronal Energy Status by the Na+ Pump

Neurons have limited intracellular energy stores but experience acute and unpredictable increases in energy demand. To better understand how these cells repeatedly transit from a resting to active state without undergoing metabolic stress, we monitored their early metabolic response to neurotransmission using ion-sensitive probes and FRET sensors in vitro and in vivo. A short theta burst triggered immediate Na⁺ entry, followed by a delayed stimulation of the Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase pump. Unexpectedly, cytosolic ATP and ADP levels were unperturbed across a wide range of physiological workloads, revealing strict flux coupling between the Na⁺ pump and mitochondria. Metabolic flux measurements revealed a "priming" phase of mitochondrial energization by pyruvate, whereas glucose consumption coincided with delayed Na⁺ pump stimulation. Experiments revealed that the Na⁺ pump plays a permissive role for mitochondrial ATP production and glycolysis. We conclude that neuronal energy homeostasis is not mediated by adenine nucleotides or by Ca²⁺, but by a mechanism commanded by the Na⁺ pump.

Brain Glucose Metabolism: Integration of Energetics with Function

Glucose is the long-established, obligatory fuel for brain that fulfills many critical functions, including ATP production, oxidative stress management, and synthesis of neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and structural components. Neuronal glucose oxidation exceeds that in astrocytes, but both rates increase in direct proportion to excitatory neurotransmission; signaling and metabolism are closely coupled at the local level. Exact details of neuron-astrocyte glutamate-glutamine cycling remain to be established, and the specific roles of glucose and lactate in the cellular energetics of these processes are debated. Glycolysis is preferentially upregulated during brain activation even though oxygen availability is sufficient (aerobic glycolysis). Three major pathways, glycolysis, pentose phosphate shunt, and glycogen turnover, contribute to utilization of glucose in excess of oxygen, and adrenergic regulation of aerobic glycolysis draws attention to astrocytic metabolism, particularly glycogen turnover, which has a high impact on the oxygen-carbohydrate mismatch. Aerobic glycolysis is proposed to be predominant in young children and specific brain regions, but re-evaluation of data is necessary. Shuttling of glucose- and glycogen-derived lactate from astrocytes to neurons during activation, neurotransmission, and memory consolidation are controversial topics for which alternative mechanisms are proposed. Nutritional therapy and vagus nerve stimulation are translational bridges from metabolism to clinical treatment of diverse brain disorders.

Dual action of L-Lactate on the activity of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors: from potentiation to neuroprotection

L-Lactate is a positive modulator of NMDAR-mediated signaling resulting in plasticity gene induction and memory consolidation. However, L-Lactate is also able to protect neurons against excito-toxic NMDAR activity, an indication of a mitigating action of L-Lactate on NMDA signaling. In this study, we provide experimental evidence that resolves this apparent paradox. Transient co-application of glutamate/glycine (1 μM/100 μM; 2 min) in primary cultures of mouse cortical neurons triggers a NMDA-dependent Ca²⁺ signal positively modulated by L-Lactate (10 mM) or DTT (1 mM) but decreased by Pyruvate (10 mM). This L-Lactate and DTT-induced potentiation is blocked by Ifenprodil (2 μM), a specific blocker of NMDARs containing NR2B sub-units. In contrast, co-application of glutamate/glycine (1 mM/100 μM; 2 min) elicits a NMDAR-dependent excitotoxic death in 49% of neurons. L-Lactate and Pyruvate significantly reduce this rate of cell death processes (respectively to 23% and 9%) while DTT has no effect (54% of neuronal death). This L-Lactate-induced neuroprotection is blocked by carbenoxolone and glibenclamide, respectively blockers of pannexins and K_ATP. In conclusion, our results show that L-Lactate is involved in two distinct and independent pathways defined as NMDAR-mediated potentiation pathway (or NADH pathway) and a neuroprotective pathway (or Pyruvate/ATP pathway), the prevalence of each one depending on the strength of the glutamatergic stimulus.

Current technical approaches to brain energy metabolism

Neuroscience is a technology-driven discipline and brain energy metabolism is no exception. Once satisfied with mapping metabolic pathways at organ level, we are now looking to learn what it is exactly that metabolic enzymes and transporters do and when, where do they reside, how are they regulated, and how do they relate to the specific functions of neurons, glial cells, and their subcellular domains and organelles, in different areas of the brain. Moreover, we aim to quantify the fluxes of metabolites within and between cells. Energy metabolism is not just a necessity for proper cell function and viability but plays specific roles in higher brain functions such as memory processing and behavior, whose mechanisms need to be understood at all hierarchical levels, from isolated proteins to whole subjects, in both health and disease. To this aim, the field takes advantage of diverse disciplines including anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry, bioenergetics, cellular biology, molecular biology, developmental biology, neurology, and mathematical modeling. This article presents a well-referenced synopsis of the technical side of brain energy metabolism research. Detail and jargon are avoided whenever possible and emphasis is given to comparative strengths, limitations, and weaknesses, information that is often not available in regular articles.

Lactate in the brain: from metabolic end-product to signalling molecule

Lactate in the brain has long been associated with ischaemia; however, more recent evidence shows that it can be found there under physiological conditions. In the brain, lactate is formed predominantly in astrocytes from glucose or glycogen in response to neuronal activity signals. Thus, neurons and astrocytes show tight metabolic coupling. Lactate is transferred from astrocytes to neurons to match the neuronal energetic needs, and to provide signals that modulate neuronal functions, including excitability, plasticity and memory consolidation. In addition, lactate affects several homeostatic functions. Overall, lactate ensures adequate energy supply, modulates neuronal excitability levels and regulates adaptive functions in order to set the 'homeostatic tone' of the nervous system.

Interferon-alpha-Induced Changes in NODDI Predispose to the Development of Fatigue

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NODDI, was used to probe subtle changes to tissue microstructure associated with IFN-α.

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We found a strong correlation between changes in neurite density index with acute and long-term fatigue following IFN-α.

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This observation confirms that the striatum is a key brain area targeted by IFN with implications for impaired motivation.

Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is an important mediator of antiviral immune responses. It is also used clinically in the treatment of hepatitis-C infection. Though effective, IFN-α-based therapies can often impair mood, motivation and cognition, which when severe can appear indistinguishable from major depression. In susceptible patients, fatigue and motivational impairment emerge early and have been linked to changes in basal ganglia (striatal) metabolism, neurochemistry and microstructural integrity. Here we use neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) modeling of multi-shell diffusion MRI to investigate whether changes in orientation-dispersion index (ODI) or neurite density index (NDI) can predict the later emergence of IFN-α-induced fatigue. Eighteen patients initiating IFN-α-based treatment for hepatitis-C underwent diffusion MRI and blood sampling at baseline and 4 h after their first IFN-α injection. They were then followed up with regular psychological assessments for 12 weeks of treatment. IFN-α injection stimulated an acute inflammatory cytokine response and evoked acute fatigue that peaked between 4 and 12 weeks of treatment. Within the brain, IFN-α induced an acute increase in NDI in patients that experienced a simultaneous increase in IFN-α-induced fatigue but not in patients that did not. Acute changes in striatal microstructure additionally predicted the continued development of fatigue but not mood symptoms 4 and 8 weeks later into treatment. Our findings highlight the value of NODDI as a potential in vivo biomarker of the central effects of peripheral inflammation. We highlight the exquisite sensitivity of the striatum to IFN-α and further implicate striatal perturbation in IFN-α-induced fatigue.

Brain activity-induced neuronal glucose uptake/glycolysis: Is the lactate shuttle not required?

The astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS) hypothesis posits that during neuronal activation, astrocytic glycolysis consumes glucose and generates lactate, with the latter then imported by neurons as a preferred fuel. The hypothesis has been controversial, with multiple theoretical postulates for and against, and with empirical evidence that were either supportive or otherwise. Recent findings using direct in vivo imaging of lactate and glucose uptake as well as associated metabolic changes in neurons have now placed important constraints on the hypothesis. Here, I review these recent findings and discuss their implications on neuronal energetics.

Neuronal Stimulation Triggers Neuronal Glycolysis and Not Lactate Uptake

Proper brain function requires a substantial energy supply, up to 20% of whole-body energy in humans, and brain activation produces large dynamic variations in energy demand. While local increases in cerebral blood flow are well known, the cellular responses to energy demand are controversial. During brain excitation, glycolysis of glucose to lactate temporarily exceeds the rate of mitochondrial fuel oxidation; although the increased energy demand occurs mainly within neurons, some have suggested this glycolysis occurs mainly in astrocytes, which then shuttle lactate to neurons as their primary fuel. Using metabolic biosensors in acute hippocampal slices and brains of awake mice, we find that neuronal metabolic responses to stimulation do not depend on astrocytic stimulation by glutamate release, nor do they require neuronal uptake of lactate; instead they reflect increased direct glucose consumption by neurons. Neuronal glycolysis temporarily outstrips oxidative metabolism, and provides a rapid response to increased energy demand.

Local energy on demand: Are 'spontaneous' astrocytic Ca2+-microdomains the regulatory unit for astrocyte-neuron metabolic cooperation?

Astrocytes are a neural cell type critically involved in maintaining brain energy homeostasis as well as signaling. Like neurons, astrocytes are a heterogeneous cell population. Cortical astrocytes show a complex morphology with a highly branched aborization and numerous fine processes ensheathing the synapses of neighboring neurons, and typically extend one process connecting to blood vessels. Recent studies employing genetically encoded fluorescent calcium (Ca²⁺) indicators have described 'spontaneous' localized Ca²⁺-transients in the astrocyte periphery that occur asynchronously, independently of signals in other parts of the cells, and that do not involve somatic Ca²⁺ transients; however, neither it is known whether these Ca²⁺-microdomains occur at or near neuronal synapses nor have their molecular basis nor downstream effector(s) been identified. In addition to Ca²⁺ microdomains, sodium (Na⁺) transients occur in astrocyte subdomains, too, most likely as a consequence of Na⁺ co-transport with the neurotransmitter glutamate, which also regulates mitochondrial movements locally - as do cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ levels. In this review, we cover various aspects of these local signaling events and discuss how structural and biophysical properties of astrocytes might foster such compartmentation. Astrocytes metabolically interact with neurons by providing energy substrates to active neurons. As a single astrocyte branch covers hundreds to thousands of synapses, it is tempting to speculate that these metabolic interactions could occur localized to specific subdomains of astrocytes, perhaps even at the level of small groups of synapses. We discuss how astrocytic metabolism might be regulated at this scale and which signals might contribute to its regulation. We speculate that the astrocytic structures that light up transiently as Ca²⁺-microdomains might be the functional units of astrocytes linking signaling and metabolic processes to adapt astrocytic function to local energy demands. The understanding of these local regulatory and metabolic interactions will be fundamental to fully appreciate the complexity of brain energy homeostasis as well as its failure in disease and may shed new light on the controversy about neuron-glia bi-directional signaling at the tripartite synapse.

Activity-dependent modulation of intracellular ATP in cultured cortical astrocytes

Brain function is absolutely dependent on an appropriate supply of energy. A shortfall in supply-as occurs, for instance, following stroke-can lead rapidly to irreversible damage to this vital organ. While the consequences of pathophysiological energy depletion have been well documented, much less is known about the physiological energy dynamics of brain cells, although changes in the intracellular concentration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the major energy carrier of cells, have been postulated to contribute to cellular signaling. To address this issue more closely, we have investigated intracellular ATP in cultured primary cortical astrocytes by time-lapse microscopy using a genetically encoded fluorescent sensor for ATP. The cytosolic ATP sensor signal decreased after application of the neurotransmitter glutamate in a manner dependent on both glutamate concentration and glutamate transporter activity, but independent of glutamate receptors. The application of dopamine did not affect ATP levels within astrocytes. These results confirm that intracellular ATP levels in astrocytes do indeed respond to changes in physiological activity and pave the way for further studies addressing factors that affect regulation of ATP. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lactate Shuttles in Neuroenergetics-Homeostasis, Allostasis and Beyond

Understanding brain energy metabolism—neuroenergetics—is becoming increasingly important as it can be identified repeatedly as the source of neurological perturbations. Within the scientific community we are seeing a shift in paradigms from the traditional neurocentric view to that of a more dynamic, integrated one where astrocytes are no longer considered as being just supportive, and activated microglia have a profound influence. Lactate is emerging as the “good guy,” contrasting its classical “bad guy” position in the now superseded medical literature. This review begins with the evolution of the concept of “lactate shuttles”; goes on to the recent shift in ideas regarding normal neuroenergetics (homeostasis)—specifically, the astrocyte–neuron lactate shuttle; and progresses to covering the metabolic implications whereby homeostasis is lost—a state of allostasis, and the function of microglia. The role of lactate, as a substrate and shuttle, is reviewed in light of allostatic stress, and beyond—in an acute state of allostatic stress in terms of physical brain trauma, and reflected upon with respect to persistent stress as allostatic overload—neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, the recently proposed astrocyte–microglia lactate shuttle is discussed in terms of chronic neuroinflammatory infectious diseases, using tuberculous meningitis as an example. The novelty extended by this review is that the directionality of lactate, as shuttles in the brain, in neuropathophysiological states is emerging as crucial in neuroenergetics.

Lack of appropriate stoichiometry: Strong evidence against an energetically important astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle in brain

Glutamate-stimulated aerobic glycolysis in astrocytes coupled with lactate shuttling to neurons where it can be oxidized was proposed as a mechanism to couple excitatory neuronal activity with glucose utilization (CMR_glc ) during brain activation. From the outset, this model was not viable because it did not fulfill critical stoichiometric requirements: (i) Calculated glycolytic rates and measured lactate release rates were discordant in cultured astrocytes. (ii) Lactate oxidation requires oxygen consumption, but the oxygen-glucose index (OGI, calculated as CMR_O2 /CMR_glc ) fell during activation in human brain, and the small rise in CMR_O2 could not fully support oxidation of lactate produced by disproportionate increases in CMR_glc . (iii) Labeled products of glucose metabolism are not retained in activated rat brain, indicating rapid release of a highly labeled, diffusible metabolite identified as lactate, thereby explaining the CMR_glc -CMR_O2 mismatch. Additional independent lines of evidence against lactate shuttling include the following: astrocytic oxidation of glutamate after its uptake can help "pay" for its uptake without stimulating glycolysis; blockade of glutamate receptors during activation in vivo prevents upregulation of metabolism and lactate release without impairing glutamate uptake; blockade of β-adrenergic receptors prevents the fall in OGI in activated human and rat brain while allowing glutamate uptake; and neurons upregulate glucose utilization in vivo and in vitro under many stimulatory conditions. Studies in immature cultured cells are not appropriate models for lactate shuttling in adult brain because of their incomplete development of metabolic capability and astrocyte-neuron interactions. Astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttling does not make large, metabolically significant contributions to energetics of brain activation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of Systemic Metabolic Fuels on Glucose and Lactate Levels in the Brain Extracellular Compartment of the Mouse

Classic neuroenergetic research has emphasized the role of glucose, its transport and its metabolism in sustaining normal neural function leading to the textbook statement that it is the necessary and sole metabolic fuel of the mammalian brain. New evidence, including the Astrocyte-to-Neuron Lactate Shuttle hypothesis, suggests that the brain can use other metabolic substrates. To further study that possibility, we examined the effect of intraperitoneally administered metabolic fuels (glucose, fructose, lactate, pyruvate, ß-hydroxybutyrate, and galactose), and insulin, on blood, and extracellular brain levels of glucose and lactate in the adult male CD1 mouse. Primary motor cortex extracellular levels of glucose and lactate were monitored in freely moving mice with the use of electrochemical electrodes. Blood concentration of these same metabolites were obtained by tail vein sampling and measured with glucose and lactate meters. Blood and extracellular fluctuations of glucose and lactate were monitored for a 2-h period. We found that the systemic injections of glucose, fructose, lactate, pyruvate, and ß-hydroxybutyrate increased blood lactate levels. Apart for a small transitory rise in brain extracellular lactate levels, the main effect of the systemic injection of glucose, fructose, lactate, pyruvate, and ß-hydroxybutyrate was an increase in brain extracellular glucose levels. Systemic galactose injections produced a small rise in blood glucose and lactate but almost no change in brain extracellular lactate and glucose. Systemic insulin injections led to a decrease in blood glucose and a small rise in blood lactate; however brain extracellular glucose and lactate monotonically decreased at the same rate. Our results support the concept that the brain is able to use alternative fuels and the current experiments suggest some of the mechanisms involved.

Glial Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters and Glucose Incorporation

Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) expressed in astrocytes remove the glutamate released by neurons in and around the synaptic cleft. In this manner, astrocytes preserve the signaling functions mediated by glutamate on synapses and prevent excitotoxicity. Additionally, EAAT activation stimulates glucose utilization in astrocytes, linking neuronal activity with astrocyte metabolism. In this chapter, we briefly review the characteristics of the EAATs and the glucose transporters (GLUTs) expressed in the brain. Thereafter, we focus on the effect of EAATs activation and its association with glucose utilization in astrocytes, specifically addressing the role played by Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions. Next, we analyze evidence that proposes mechanisms by which the activity of GLUTs could be modulated after EAAT activation (e.g., kinases altering GLUTs traffic to cell membrane). Finally, we analyzed the current knowledge on EAAT function during energy deficiency as a possible inducer of GLUT expression to prevent neuronal damage.

Bioenergetics and redox adaptations of astrocytes to neuronal activity

Neuronal activity is a high‐energy demanding process recruiting all neural cells that adapt their metabolism to sustain the energy and redox balance of neurons. During neurotransmission, synaptic cleft glutamate activates its receptors in neurons and in astrocytes, before being taken up by astrocytes through energy costly transporters. In astrocytes, the energy requirement for glutamate influx is likely to be met by glycolysis. To enable this, astrocytes are constitutively glycolytic, robustly expressing 6‐phosphofructo‐2‐kinase/fructose‐2,6‐bisphosphatase‐3 (PFKFB3), an enzyme that is negligibly present in neurons by continuous degradation because of the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway via anaphase‐promoting complex/cyclosome (APC)‐Cdh1. Additional factors contributing to the glycolytic frame of astrocytes may include 5′‐AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK), hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 (HIF‐1), pyruvate kinase muscle isoform‐2 (PKM2), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase‐4 (PDK4), lactate dehydrogenase‐B, or monocarboxylate transporter‐4 (MCT4). Neurotransmission‐associated messengers, such as nitric oxide or ammonium, stimulate lactate release from astrocytes. Astrocyte‐derived glycolytic lactate thus sustains the energy needs of neurons, which in contrast to astrocytes mainly rely on oxidative phosphorylation. Neuronal activity unavoidably triggers reactive oxygen species, but the antioxidant defense of neurons is weak; hence, they use glucose for oxidation through the pentose‐phosphate pathway to preserve the redox status. Furthermore, neural activity is coupled with erythroid‐derived erythroid‐derived 2‐like 2 (Nrf2) mediated transcriptional activation of antioxidant genes in astrocytes, which boost the de novo glutathione biosynthesis in neighbor neurons. Thus, the bioenergetics and redox programs of astrocytes are adapted to sustain neuronal activity and survival. Developing therapeutic strategies to interfere with these pathways may be useful to combat neurological diseases.

Our current knowledge on brain's management of bioenergetics and redox requirements associated with neural activity is herein revisited. The astrocyte‐neuronal lactate shuttle (ANLS) explains the energy needs of neurotransmission. Furthermore, neurotransmission unavoidably triggers increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in neurons. By coupling glutamatergic activity with transcriptional activation of antioxidant genes, astrocytes provide neurons with neuroprotective glutathione through an astrocyte‐neuronal glutathione shuttle (ANGS).

This article is part of the60th Anniversary special issue.

L-Lactate protects neurons against excitotoxicity: implication of an ATP-mediated signaling cascade

Converging experimental data indicate a neuroprotective action of L-Lactate. Using Digital Holographic Microscopy, we observe that transient application of glutamate (100 μM; 2 min) elicits a NMDA-dependent death in 65% of mouse cortical neurons in culture. In the presence of L-Lactate (or Pyruvate), the percentage of neuronal death decreases to 32%. UK5099, a blocker of the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier, fully prevents L-Lactate-mediated neuroprotection. In addition, L-Lactate-induced neuroprotection is not only inhibited by probenicid and carbenoxolone, two blockers of ATP channel pannexins, but also abolished by apyrase, an enzyme degrading ATP, suggesting that ATP produced by the Lactate/Pyruvate pathway is released to act on purinergic receptors in an autocrine/paracrine manner. Finally, pharmacological approaches support the involvement of the P2Y receptors associated to the PI3-kinase pathway, leading to activation of K_ATP channels. This set of results indicates that L-Lactate acts as a signalling molecule for neuroprotection against excitotoxicity through coordinated cellular pathways involving ATP production, release and activation of a P2Y/K_ATP cascade.

Energy Metabolism of the Brain, Including the Cooperation between Astrocytes and Neurons, Especially in the Context of Glycogen Metabolism

Glycogen metabolism has important implications for the functioning of the brain, especially the cooperation between astrocytes and neurons. According to various research data, in a glycogen deficiency (for example during hypoglycemia) glycogen supplies are used to generate lactate, which is then transported to neighboring neurons. Likewise, during periods of intense activity of the nervous system, when the energy demand exceeds supply, astrocyte glycogen is immediately converted to lactate, some of which is transported to the neurons. Thus, glycogen from astrocytes functions as a kind of protection against hypoglycemia, ensuring preservation of neuronal function. The neuroprotective effect of lactate during hypoglycemia or cerebral ischemia has been reported in literature. This review goes on to emphasize that while neurons and astrocytes differ in metabolic profile, they interact to form a common metabolic cooperation.

A cellular perspective on brain energy metabolism and functional imaging

The energy demands of the brain are high: they account for at least 20% of the body's energy consumption. Evolutionary studies indicate that the emergence of higher cognitive functions in humans is associated with an increased glucose utilization and expression of energy metabolism genes. Functional brain imaging techniques such as fMRI and PET, which are widely used in human neuroscience studies, detect signals that monitor energy delivery and use in register with neuronal activity. Recent technological advances in metabolic studies with cellular resolution have afforded decisive insights into the understanding of the cellular and molecular bases of the coupling between neuronal activity and energy metabolism and point at a key role of neuron-astrocyte metabolic interactions. This article reviews some of the most salient features emerging from recent studies and aims at providing an integration of brain energy metabolism across resolution scales.

Glutamatergic Transmission: A Matter of Three

Glutamatergic transmission in the vertebrate brain requires the involvement of glia cells, in a continuous molecular dialogue. Glial glutamate receptors and transporters are key molecules that sense synaptic activity and by these means modify their physiology in the short and long term. Posttranslational modifications that regulate protein-protein interactions and modulate transmitter removal are triggered in glial cells by neuronal released glutamate. Moreover, glutamate signaling cascades in these cells are linked to transcriptional and translational control and are critically involved in the control of the so-called glutamate/glutamine shuttle and by these means in glutamatergic neurotransmission. In this contribution, we summarize our current understanding of the biochemical consequences of glutamate synaptic activity in their surrounding partners and dissect the molecular mechanisms that allow neurons to take control of glia physiology to ensure proper glutamate-mediated neuronal communication.

Fluctuations in Cytosolic Calcium Regulate the Neuronal Malate-Aspartate NADH Shuttle: Implications for Neuronal Energy Metabolism

The malate-aspartate NADH shuttle (MAS) operates in neurons and other cells to translocate reducing equivalents from the cytosol to the mitochondrial matrix, thus allowing a continued flux through the glycolytic pathway and metabolism of extracellular lactate. Recent discoveries have taught us that MAS is regulated by fluctuations in cytosolic Ca(2+) levels, and that this regulation is required to maintain a tight coupling between neuronal activity and mitochondrial respiration and oxidative phosphorylation. At cytosolic Ca(2+) fluctuations below the threshold of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter, there is a positive correlation between Ca(2+) and MAS activity; however, if cytosolic Ca(2+) increases above the threshold, MAS activity is thought to be reduced by an intricate mechanism. The latter forces the neurons to partly rely on anaerobic glycolysis producing lactate that may be metabolized subsequently, by neurons or other cells. In this review, we will discuss the evidence for Ca(2+)-mediated regulation of MAS that have been uncovered over the last decade or so, together with the need for further verification, and examine the metabolic ramifications for neurons.

Quantitative Magnetization Transfer Imaging as a Biomarker for Effects of Systemic Inflammation on the Brain

BACKGROUND

Systemic inflammation impairs brain function and is increasingly implicated in the etiology of common mental illnesses, particularly depression and Alzheimer's disease. Immunotherapies selectively targeting proinflammatory cytokines demonstrate efficacy in a subset of patients with depression. However, efforts to identify patients most vulnerable to the central effects of inflammation are hindered by insensitivity of conventional structural magnetic resonance imaging.

METHODS

We used quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) imaging, a magnetic resonance imaging technique that enables quantification of changes in brain macromolecular density, together with experimentally induced inflammation to investigate effects of systemic inflammatory challenge on human brain microstructure. Imaging with qMT was performed in 20 healthy participants after typhoid vaccination and saline control injection. An additional 20 participants underwent fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography following the same inflammatory challenge.

RESULTS

The qMT data demonstrated that inflammation induced a rapid change in brain microstructure, reflected in increased magnetization exchange from free (water) to macromolecular-bound protons, within a discrete region of insular cortex implicated in representing internal physiologic states including inflammation. The functional significance of this change in insular microstructure was demonstrated by correlation with inflammation-induced fatigue and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging, which revealed increased resting glucose metabolism within this region following the same inflammatory challenge.

CONCLUSIONS

Together these observations highlight a novel structural biomarker of the central physiologic and behavioral effects of mild systemic inflammation. The widespread clinical availability of magnetic resonance imaging supports the viability of qMT imaging as a clinical biomarker in trials of immunotherapeutics, both to identify patients vulnerable to the effects of systemic inflammation and to monitor neurobiological responses.

Neuronal LRP1 regulates glucose metabolism and insulin signaling in the brain

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological disorder characterized by profound memory loss and progressive dementia. Accumulating evidence suggests that Type 2 diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, significantly increases the risk for developing AD. Whereas amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition and neurofibrillary tangles are major histological hallmarks of AD, impairment of cerebral glucose metabolism precedes these pathological changes during the early stage of AD and likely triggers or exacerbates AD pathology. However, the mechanisms linking disturbed insulin signaling/glucose metabolism and AD pathogenesis remain unclear. The low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1), a major apolipoprotein E receptor, plays critical roles in lipoprotein metabolism, synaptic maintenance, and clearance of Aβ in the brain. Here, we demonstrate that LRP1 interacts with the insulin receptor β in the brain and regulates insulin signaling and glucose uptake. LRP1 deficiency in neurons leads to impaired insulin signaling as well as reduced levels of glucose transporters GLUT3 and GLUT4. Consequently, glucose uptake is reduced. By using an in vivo microdialysis technique sampling brain glucose concentration in freely moving mice, we further show that LRP1 deficiency in conditional knock-out mice resulted in glucose intolerance in the brain. We also found that hyperglycemia suppresses LRP1 expression, which further exacerbates insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and AD pathology. As loss of LRP1 expression is seen in AD brains, our study provides novel insights into insulin resistance in AD. Our work also establishes new targets that can be explored for AD prevention or therapy.

Multi-timescale modeling of activity-dependent metabolic coupling in the neuron-glia-vasculature ensemble

Glucose is the main energy substrate in the adult brain under normal conditions. Accumulating evidence, however, indicates that lactate produced in astrocytes (a type of glial cell) can also fuel neuronal activity. The quantitative aspects of this so-called astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS) are still debated. To address this question, we developed a detailed biophysical model of the brain’s metabolic interactions. Our model integrates three modeling approaches, the Buxton-Wang model of vascular dynamics, the Hodgkin-Huxley formulation of neuronal membrane excitability and a biophysical model of metabolic pathways. This approach provides a template for large-scale simulations of the neuron-glia-vasculature (NGV) ensemble, and for the first time integrates the respective timescales at which energy metabolism and neuronal excitability occur. The model is constrained by relative neuronal and astrocytic oxygen and glucose utilization, by the concentration of metabolites at rest and by the temporal dynamics of NADH upon activation. These constraints produced four observations. First, a transfer of lactate from astrocytes to neurons emerged in response to activity. Second, constrained by activity-dependent NADH transients, neuronal oxidative metabolism increased first upon activation with a subsequent delayed astrocytic glycolysis increase. Third, the model correctly predicted the dynamics of extracellular lactate and oxygen as observed in vivo in rats. Fourth, the model correctly predicted the temporal dynamics of tissue lactate, of tissue glucose and oxygen consumption, and of the BOLD signal as reported in human studies. These findings not only support the ANLS hypothesis but also provide a quantitative mathematical description of the metabolic activation in neurons and glial cells, as well as of the macroscopic measurements obtained during brain imaging.

The brain has remarkable information processing capacity, yet is also very energy efficient. How this metabolic efficiency is achieved given the spatial and metabolic constraints inherent to the designs and energy requirements of brain cells is a fundamental question in neurobiology. The major cell classes in mammalian nervous systems include neurons, glia and the microvasculature that supplies the molecular substrates of energy and metabolism. Together, this neuron-glia-vasculature (NGV) ensemble constitutes the functional unit that underlies the cost infrastructure of computation. In spite of its importance, a comprehensive understanding of this dynamic system remains elusive. While it is well established that glucose feeds the brain, few of the details regarding the destiny of glucose intermediates in metabolic pathways are known. Controversy remains regarding the degree of cooperativity between glia and neurons in sharing lactate, the product of aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) and one of the substrates for further energy extraction by oxidative processes. Specifically, while experimental data support the occurrence of a flow of lactate from glia to neurons, the astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS), some theoretical considerations have been proposed to support the occurrence of lactate transport in the other direction (NALS). Our computational model is the first to integrate multiple timescales of the NGV unit. It provides a quantitative mathematical description of metabolic activation in neurons and astrocytes, and of the macroscopic measurements obtained during brain imaging that uses metabolism as a proxy for neuronal activity.

Methylglyoxal, the dark side of glycolysis

Glucose is the main energy substrate for the brain. There is now extensive evidence indicating that the metabolic profile of neural cells with regard to glucose utilization and glycolysis rate is not homogenous, with a marked propensity for glycolytic glucose processing in astrocytes compared to neurons. Methylglyoxal, a highly reactive dicarbonyl compound, is inevitably formed as a by-product of glycolysis. Methylglyoxal is a major cell-permeant precursor of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), which are associated with several pathologies including diabetes, aging and neurodegenerative diseases. In normal situations, cells are protected against methylglyoxal toxicity by different mechanisms and in particular the glyoxalase system, which represents the most important pathway for the detoxification of methylglyoxal. While the neurotoxic effects of methylglyoxal and AGEs are well characterized, our understanding the glyoxalase system in the brain is more scattered. Considering the high energy requirements (i.e., glucose) of the brain, one should expect that the cerebral glyoxalase system is adequately fitted to handle methylglyoxal toxicity. This review focuses on our actual knowledge on the cellular aspects of the glyoxalase system in brain cells, in particular with regard to its activity in astrocytes and neurons. A main emerging concept is that these two neural cell types have different and energetically adapted glyoxalase defense mechanisms which may serve as protective mechanism against methylglyoxal-induced cellular damage.

The metabolic response to excitotoxicity - lessons from single-cell imaging

Excitotoxicity is a pathological process implicated in neuronal death during ischaemia, traumatic brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. Excitotoxicity is caused by excess levels of glutamate and over-activation of NMDA or calcium-permeable AMPA receptors on neuronal membranes, leading to ionic influx, energetic stress and potential neuronal death. The metabolic response of neurons to excitotoxicity is complex and plays a key role in the ability of the neuron to adapt and recover from such an insult. Single-cell imaging is a powerful experimental technique that can be used to study the neuronal metabolic response to excitotoxicity in vitro and, increasingly, in vivo. Here, we review some of the knowledge of the neuronal metabolic response to excitotoxicity gained from in vitro single-cell imaging, including calcium and ATP dynamics and their effects on mitochondrial function, along with the contribution of glucose metabolism, oxidative stress and additional neuroprotective signalling mechanisms. Future work will combine knowledge gained from single-cell imaging with data from biochemical and computational techniques to garner holistic information about the metabolic response to excitotoxicity at the whole brain level and transfer this knowledge to a clinical setting.

Purinergic receptor stimulation decreases ischemic brain damage by energizing astrocyte mitochondria

As a leading cause of death in the world, cerebral ischemic stroke has limited treatment options. The lack of glucose and oxygen after stroke is particularly harmful in the brain because neuronal metabolism accounts for significantly more energy consumption per gram of body weight compared to other organs. Our laboratory has identified mitochondrial metabolism of astrocytes to be a key target for pharmacologic intervention, not only because astrocytes play a central role in regulating brain metabolism, but also because they are essential for neuronal health and support. Here we review current literature pertaining to the pathobiology of stroke, along with the role of astrocytes and metabolism in stroke. We also discuss our research, which has revealed that pharmacologic stimulation of metabotropic P2Y1 receptor signaling in astrocytes can increase mitochondrial energy production and also reduce damage after stroke.

Glutamate reduces glucose utilization while concomitantly enhancing AQP9 and MCT2 expression in cultured rat hippocampal neurons

The excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate has been reported to have a major impact on brain energy metabolism. Using primary cultures of rat hippocampal neurons, we observed that glutamate reduces glucose utilization in this cell type, suggesting alteration in mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. The aquaglyceroporin AQP9 and the monocarboxylate transporter MCT2, two transporters for oxidative energy substrates, appear to be present in mitochondria of these neurons. Moreover, they not only co-localize but they interact with each other as they were found to co-immunoprecipitate from hippocampal neuron homogenates. Exposure of cultured hippocampal neurons to glutamate 100 μM for 1 h led to enhanced expression of both AQP9 and MCT2 at the protein level without any significant change at the mRNA level. In parallel, a similar increase in the protein expression of LDHA was evidenced without an effect on the mRNA level. These data suggest that glutamate exerts an influence on neuronal energy metabolism likely through a regulation of the expression of some key mitochondrial proteins.

Single-cell imaging tools for brain energy metabolism: a review

Neurophotonics comes to light at a time in which advances in microscopy and improved calcium reporters are paving the way toward high-resolution functional mapping of the brain. This review relates to a parallel revolution in metabolism. We argue that metabolism needs to be approached both in vitro and in vivo, and that it does not just exist as a low-level platform but is also a relevant player in information processing. In recent years, genetically encoded fluorescent nanosensors have been introduced to measure glucose, glutamate, ATP, NADH, lactate, and pyruvate in mammalian cells. Reporting relative metabolite levels, absolute concentrations, and metabolic fluxes, these sensors are instrumental for the discovery of new molecular mechanisms. Sensors continue to be developed, which together with a continued improvement in protein expression strategies and new imaging technologies, herald an exciting era of high-resolution characterization of metabolism in the brain and other organs.

Fatty acids in energy metabolism of the central nervous system

In this review, we analyze the current hypotheses regarding energy metabolism in the neurons and astroglia. Recently, it was shown that up to 20% of the total brain's energy is provided by mitochondrial oxidation of fatty acids. However, the existing hypotheses consider glucose, or its derivative lactate, as the only main energy substrate for the brain. Astroglia metabolically supports the neurons by providing lactate as a substrate for neuronal mitochondria. In addition, a significant amount of neuromediators, glutamate and GABA, is transported into neurons and also serves as substrates for mitochondria. Thus, neuronal mitochondria may simultaneously oxidize several substrates. Astrocytes have to replenish the pool of neuromediators by synthesis de novo, which requires large amounts of energy. In this review, we made an attempt to reconcile β-oxidation of fatty acids by astrocytic mitochondria with the existing hypothesis on regulation of aerobic glycolysis. We suggest that, under condition of neuronal excitation, both metabolic pathways may exist simultaneously. We provide experimental evidence that isolated neuronal mitochondria may oxidize palmitoyl carnitine in the presence of other mitochondrial substrates. We also suggest that variations in the brain mitochondrial metabolic phenotype may be associated with different mtDNA haplogroups.

Synaptic activity and bioenergy homeostasis: implications in brain trauma and neurodegenerative diseases

Powered by glucose metabolism, the brain is the most energy-demanding organ in our body. Adequate ATP production and regulation of the metabolic processes are essential for the maintenance of synaptic transmission and neuronal function. Glutamatergic synaptic activity utilizes the largest portion of bioenergy for synaptic events including neurotransmitter synthesis, vesicle recycling, and most importantly, the postsynaptic activities leading to channel activation and rebalancing of ionic gradients. Bioenergy homeostasis is coupled with synaptic function via activities of the sodium pumps, glutamate transporters, glucose transport, and mitochondria translocation. Energy insufficiency is sensed by the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a master metabolic regulator that stimulates the catalytic process to enhance energy production. A decline in energy supply and a disruption in bioenergy homeostasis play a critical role in multiple neuropathological conditions including ischemia, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injuries.

Role of monosaccharide transport proteins in carbohydrate assimilation, distribution, metabolism, and homeostasis

The facilitated diffusion of glucose, galactose, fructose, urate, myoinositol, and dehydroascorbicacid in mammals is catalyzed by a family of 14 monosaccharide transport proteins called GLUTs. These transporters may be divided into three classes according to sequence similarity and function/substrate specificity. GLUT1 appears to be highly expressed in glycolytically active cells and has been coopted in vitamin C auxotrophs to maintain the redox state of the blood through transport of dehydroascorbate. Several GLUTs are definitive glucose/galactose transporters, GLUT2 and GLUT5 are physiologically important fructose transporters, GLUT9 appears to be a urate transporter while GLUT13 is a proton/myoinositol cotransporter. The physiologic substrates of some GLUTs remain to be established. The GLUTs are expressed in a tissue specific manner where affinity, specificity, and capacity for substrate transport are paramount for tissue function. Although great strides have been made in characterizing GLUT-catalyzed monosaccharide transport and mapping GLUT membrane topography and determinants of substrate specificity, a unifying model for GLUT structure and function remains elusive. The GLUTs play a major role in carbohydrate homeostasis and the redistribution of sugar-derived carbons among the various organ systems. This is accomplished through a multiplicity of GLUT-dependent glucose sensing and effector mechanisms that regulate monosaccharide ingestion, absorption,distribution, cellular transport and metabolism, and recovery/retention. Glucose transport and metabolism have coevolved in mammals to support cerebral glucose utilization.

Tissue-type plasminogen activator mediates neuroglial coupling in the central nervous system

The interaction between neurons, astrocytes and endothelial cells plays a central role coupling energy supply with changes in neuronal activity. For a long time it was believed that glucose was the only source of energy for neurons. However, a growing body of experimental evidence indicates that lactic acid, generated by aerobic glycolysis in perivascular astrocytes, is also a source of energy for neuronal activity, particularly when the supply of glucose from the intravascular space is interrupted. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an evolutionary conserved kinase that couples cellular activity with energy consumption via induction of the uptake of glucose and activation of the glycolytic pathway. The uptake of glucose by the blood-brain barrier is mediated by glucose transporter-1 (GLUT1), which is abundantly expressed in endothelial cells and astrocytic end-feet processes. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is a serine proteinase that is found in endothelial cells, astrocytes and neurons. Genetic overexpression of neuronal tPA or treatment with recombinant tPA protects neurons from the deleterious effects of metabolic stress or excitotoxicity, via a mechanism independent of tPA's ability to cleave plasminogen into plasmin. The work presented here shows that exposure to metabolic stress induces the rapid release of tPA from murine neurons but not from astrocytes. This tPA induces AMPK activation, membrane recruitment of GLUT1, and GLUT1-mediated glucose uptake in astrocytes and endothelial cells. Our data indicate that this is followed by the synthesis and release of lactic acid from astrocytes, and that the uptake of this lactic acid via the monocarboxylate transporter-2 promotes survival in neurons exposed to metabolic stress.

Unraveling the complex metabolic nature of astrocytes

Since the initial description of astrocytes by neuroanatomists of the nineteenth century, a critical metabolic role for these cells has been suggested in the central nervous system. Nonetheless, it took several technological and conceptual advances over many years before we could start to understand how they fulfill such a role. One of the important and early recognized metabolic function of astrocytes concerns the reuptake and recycling of the neurotransmitter glutamate. But the description of this initial property will be followed by several others including an implication in the supply of energetic substrates to neurons. Indeed, despite the fact that like most eukaryotic non-proliferative cells, astrocytes rely on oxidative metabolism for energy production, they exhibit a prominent aerobic glycolysis capacity. Moreover, this unusual metabolic feature was found to be modulated by glutamatergic activity constituting the initial step of the neurometabolic coupling mechanism. Several approaches, including biochemical measurements in cultured cells, genetic screening, dynamic cell imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mathematical modeling, have provided further insights into the intrinsic characteristics giving rise to these key features of astrocytes. This review will provide an account of the different results obtained over several decades that contributed to unravel the complex metabolic nature of astrocytes that make this cell type unique.

Astrocytic and neuronal accumulation of elevated extracellular K(+) with a 2/3 K(+)/Na(+) flux ratio-consequences for energy metabolism, osmolarity and higher brain function

Brain excitation increases neuronal Na⁺ concentration by 2 major mechanisms: (i) Na⁺ influx caused by glutamatergic synaptic activity; and (ii) action-potential-mediated depolarization by Na⁺ influx followed by repolarizating K⁺ efflux, increasing extracellular K⁺ concentration. This review deals mainly with the latter and it concludes that clearance of extracellular K⁺ is initially mainly effectuated by Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase-mediated K⁺ uptake into astrocytes, at K⁺ concentrations above ~10 mM aided by uptake of Na⁺,K⁺ and 2 Cl⁻ by the cotransporter NKCC1. Since operation of the astrocytic Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase requires K⁺-dependent glycogenolysis for stimulation of the intracellular ATPase site, it ceases after normalization of extracellular K⁺ concentration. This allows K⁺ release via the inward rectifying K⁺ channel K_ir4.1, perhaps after trans-astrocytic connexin- and/or pannexin-mediated K⁺ transfer, which would be a key candidate for determination by synchronization-based computational analysis and may have signaling effects. Spatially dispersed K⁺ release would have little effect on extracellular K⁺ concentration and allow K⁺ accumulation by the less powerful neuronal Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase, which is not stimulated by increases in extracellular K⁺. Since the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase exchanges 3 Na⁺ with 2 K⁺, it creates extracellular hypertonicity and cell shrinkage. Hypertonicity stimulates NKCC1, which, aided by β-adrenergic stimulation of the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase, causes regulatory volume increase, furosemide-inhibited undershoot in [K⁺]_e and perhaps facilitation of the termination of slow neuronal hyperpolarization (sAHP), with behavioral consequences. The ion transport processes involved minimize ionic disequilibria caused by the asymmetric Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase fluxes.