title: White matter lactate--does it matter?
abstract: About half of the human brain is white matter, characterized by axons covered in myelin, which facilitates the high speed of nerve signals from one brain area to another. At the time of myelination, the oligodendrocytes that synthesize myelin require a large amount of energy for this task. Conditions that deprive the tissue of energy can kill the oligodendrocytes. During brain development, the oligodendrocytes may use lactate as an alternative source of energy and material for myelin formation. Mature oligodendrocytes, however, can release lactate through the myelin sheath as nutrient for axons. In addition, lactate carries signals as a volume transmitter. Myelin thus seems to serve as a provider of substrates and signals for axons, and not as a mere insulator. We review the fluxes of lactate in white matter and their significance in brain function.
authors.affiliation: The Brain and Muscle Energy Group, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, PB1105 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway; Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rinholm
authors.affiliation: The Brain and Muscle Energy Group, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, PB1105 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway; Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Oral Biology, University of Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: l.h.bergersen@medisin.uio.no.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Bergersen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D066127:White Matter / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid
keywords: development; energy; lactate; myelination; volume transmitter