Scientists found an unknown energy source for the nervous system 18:32

German scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Interdisciplinary Research have discovered an energy source for central nervous system (CNS) cells. The research was published in the scientific journal magazine Nature Neuroscience (NatNeuro).

The mammalian brain expends significant amounts of energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is a molecule that cells use to transfer energy and ultimately fuel various biological processes.

Unlike other organs with fat cells, neurons and other cells of the central nervous system still do not have significant local energy reserves.

While astrocytes (medullary cells) can use stored glycogen to temporarily protect neurons in the event of low blood sugar, chronic glucose deficiency is known to contribute to neurodegeneration in the long term.

In the new study, the team found that CNS cells can be nourished with oligodendrohyal lipids, preventing glucose deficiency and associated neurodegeneration.
Oligodendrogenic lipids form the myelin layer, which is the protective sheath of nerve fibers.

As experiments on genetically modified mice have shown, glial cells cope well with glucose deficiency by breaking down fatty acids from myelin and converting them into ATP.

In further testing, the researchers discovered that the energy produced by oligodendrocytes from lipids could also support the electrical firing activity of myelinated axons in the optic nerve.

The results suggest that the myelinated brain of adult mammals may have significant energy reserves that can help temporarily compensate for energy deficits. These findings may have important implications for the study of disorders associated with starvation-induced loss of white matter in the brain, such as anorexia nervosa.

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