Regulation of glucose metabolism by nitrosative stress in neural cells.
Following brain inflammatory stimuli, astrocytes actively synthesize nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. These nitrogen-derived species trigger a repertoire of biochemical effects, including alteration of mitochondrial function and redox status both in astrocytes and neighboring neurons. Furthermore, under such nitrosative stress astrocytes show remarkable resistance in spite of having their mitochondria impaired, whereas the neighboring neurons show vulnerability. In this review, we discuss recent evidence strongly suggesting that nitrogen-derived species modulate key regulatory steps of glucose metabolism. These involve up-regulation of high-affinity glucose transporter, stimulation of glycolysis at 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase, and activation of pentose-phosphate pathway at glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. We conclude that the orchestrated stimulation of glucose-metabolising pathways by nitric oxide would be a transient attempt of certain neural cells to compensate for the impaired energy status and oxidised glutathione and thus emerge from an otherwise neuropathological outcome.
Bolaños
Juan P
JP
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Salamanca, Avda. del Campo Charro, 37007 Salamanca, Spain. jbolanos@usal.es
Cidad
Pilar
P
García-Nogales
Paula
P
Delgado-Esteban
María
M
Fernández
Emilio
E
Almeida
Angeles
A
D000818:Animals; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D015538:Nitrosation; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D010427:Pentose Phosphate Pathway / Q000502:physiology; D030421:Peroxynitrous Acid / Q000502:physiology
D030421:Peroxynitrous Acid; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D005947:Glucose