Chen Xueyi, Zhang Yangdong, Wang Haiyang, Liu Lanxiang, Li Wenwen, Xie Peng
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Discov Ment Health. 2022 Mar 30;2(1):8. doi: 10.1007/s44192-022-00011-4.
Lactic acid is produced mainly in astrocytes in the brain and serves as a substance that supplies energy to neurons. In recent years, numerous studies identified the potential effects of lactic acid on the central nervous system and demonstrated its role in regulating brain function as an energy metabolism substrate or cellular signaling molecule. Both deficiency and accumulation of lactic acid cause neurological dysfunction, which further lead to the development of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Major depressive disorder, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and Multiple sclerosis. Although an association between lactic acid and neuropsychiatric disorders was reported in previous research, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which lactic acid regulates brain function is of significance for the early diagnosis and prevention of neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we summarize evidence that is focused on the potential mechanisms of lactic acid as a signaling molecule involved in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders and propose a new mechanism by which lactic acid regulates brain function and disease through the microbiota-gut-brain axis to offer new insight into the prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases.
乳酸主要在大脑中的星形胶质细胞中产生，并作为一种为神经元提供能量的物质。近年来，大量研究确定了乳酸对中枢神经系统的潜在影响，并证明其作为能量代谢底物或细胞信号分子在调节脑功能中的作用。乳酸缺乏和积累都会导致神经功能障碍，进而导致神经精神疾病的发生，如重度抑郁症、精神分裂症、阿尔茨海默病和多发性硬化症。尽管先前的研究报道了乳酸与神经精神疾病之间的关联，但其潜在的致病机制仍不清楚。因此，深入了解乳酸调节脑功能的分子机制对于神经精神疾病的早期诊断和预防具有重要意义。在这篇综述中，我们总结了聚焦于乳酸作为参与神经精神疾病发病机制的信号分子的潜在机制的证据，并提出了一种新的机制，即乳酸通过微生物群-肠道-脑轴调节脑功能和疾病，为神经精神疾病的预防和治疗提供新的见解。
