Energy metabolism in mammalian brain during development

Is Brain Maturation Comparable in Fetuses and Premature Neonates at Term Equivalent Age?

“…32 The short T2 of a fraction of metabolites could be explained by the ultrastructural modifications occurring in neural cells during axon growth and myelination, such as the proliferation and enhanced capacity of mitochondria and accrued metabolite synthesis. 33 Interestingly, a developmental increase in T2 values of metabolites has been found in the mouse developing brain, 34 and in the human brain (NAA and Cho) from 32 to 42 weeks postconceptional age. 16 So far, small pools of bound creatine 35 or lactate 36 have been detected in the adult brain but have not been investigated in the developing brain.…”

Relative Quantification of Stable Isotope Labeled Peptides Using a Linear Ion Trap-Orbitrap Hybrid Mass Spectrometer

“…The adult brain requires more energy to support this increase in synaptic activity. Correspondingly, many reports describe an increase in the expression of proteins that generate ATP and proteins that utilize ATP in an adult brain compared to a newborn brain 27,28 . Our analysis identified an increase in the expression of proteins directly involved in the generation of ATP (glycolysis) and Na/K ATPase proteins, which are the main consumers of ATP in the brain (Fig 5C and 5D).…”

Spontaneous Network Events Driven by Depolarizing GABA Action in Neonatal Hippocampal Slices are Not Attributable to Deficient Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism

“…In the present study, we examined whether an enriched energy substrate pool suppresses network activity via changes in mitochondrial functions. Our main focus was on L-lactate, a well known substrate of oxidative energy metabolism both in neonatal and adult neurons (Erecinska et al, 2004;Raichle and Mintun, 2006). According to Holmgren et al (2010), addition of 5 mM L-lactate into the standard physiological solution should provide in vitro conditions where energy metabolism is not compromised (see Discussion).…”