concept

Lactate

Lactate, perhaps the best-known metabolic waste product, was first isolated from sour milk, in which it is produced by lactobacilli. Whereas microbes also generate other fermentation products, such as ethanol or acetone, lactate dominates in mammals. Lactate production increases when the demand for ATP and oxygen exceeds supply, as occurs during intense exercise and ischaemia. The build-up of lactate in stressed muscle and ischaemic tissues has established lactate's reputation as a deleterious waste product. In this Perspective, we summarize emerging evidence that, in mammals, lactate also serves as a major circulating carbohydrate fuel. By providing mammalian cells with both a convenient source and sink for three-carbon compounds, circulating lactate enables the uncoupling of carbohydrate-driven mitochondrial energy generation from glycolysis. Lactate and pyruvate together serve as a circulating redox buffer that equilibrates the NADH/NAD ratio across cells and tissues. This reconceptualization of lactate as a fuel-analogous to how Hans Christian Andersen's ugly duckling is actually a beautiful swan-has the potential to reshape the field of energy metabolism.

Ref:
Rabinowitz JD, Enerbäck S. Lactate: the ugly duckling of energy metabolism. Nat Metab. 2020 Jul;2(7):566-571. doi: 10.1038/s42255-020-0243-4. Epub 2020 Jul 20. PMID: 32694798; PMCID: PMC7983055.

20 confidence points
0 comments
Added on Jun 6, 2022 by Barbara Van De Keer
Edited on Jan 9, 2023 by Barbara Van De Keer

Join Ninatoka!!

NinatoKa's goal is to support you as a therapist in unravelling the illness pathway from symptoms to cause, and to help you detect potential interventions.

Go to Explore to start your discovery!

Go to Learn to scroll through newly added data.

Go to Contribute to contribute to the Ninatoka database.

You can rate content up or down and add comments if you agree or disagree.