Lactate's behavioral switch in the brain: An in-silico model.
Milad Soltanzadeh1, Solenna Blanchard2, Jean-Paul Soucy3
1PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada; Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Journal of Theoretical Biology
|October 21, 2023
Summary
Mathematical modeling reveals how brain lactate dynamics shift with elevated arterial lactate. Astrocytes uptake more lactate, but neuronal lactate levels remain significantly reduced, highlighting complex transport influences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biophysics
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Lactate plays crucial roles in brain physiology and pathology.
- Mathematical modeling is a valuable tool for understanding brain lactate dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze a novel mathematical model of brain lactate exchange between neurons, astrocytes, capillaries, and extracellular space.
- To investigate the impact of elevated arterial lactate on neuronal and astrocytic lactate concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Developed a system of four ordinary differential equations to model lactate transport.
- Optimized model parameters under normal resting conditions.
- Simulated changes in lactate concentration with elevated arterial lactate.
Main Results:
- Increased arterial lactate leads to higher astrocytic uptake and extracellular release.
- Neuronal lactate concentration does not fully recover from initial drops.
- Astrocyte production rate and astrocyte-extracellular transport influence lactate transport direction.
Conclusions:
- The model provides insights into brain lactate homeostasis.
- Elevated arterial lactate has complex effects on neuronal lactate levels.
- Specific transport parameters critically regulate lactate distribution within the brain.
