The brain has almost no energy reserve, but its activity coordinates organismal function, a burden that requires precise coupling between neurotransmission and energy metabolism. Deciphering how the brain accomplishes this complex task is crucial to understand central facets of human physiology and disease mechanisms. Each type of neural cell displays a peculiar metabolic signature, forcing the intercellular exchange of metabolites that serve as both energy precursors and paracrine signals. The paradigm of this biological feature is the astrocyte-neuron couple, in which the glycolytic metabolism of astrocytes contrasts with the mitochondrial oxidative activity of neurons. Astrocytes generate abundant mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and shuttle to neurons glycolytically derived metabolites, such as L-lactate and L-serine, which sustain energy needs, conserve redox status, and modulate neurotransmitter-receptor activity. Conversely, early disruption of this metabolic cooperation may contribute to the initiation or progression of several neurological diseases, thus requiring innovative therapies to preserve brain energetics.

大脑几乎没有能量储备，但它的活动协调机体功能，这是一种需要神经传递和能量代谢之间精确耦合的负担。破译大脑如何完成这项复杂的任务对于了解人类生理学和疾病机制的核心方面至关重要。每种类型的神经细胞都显示出独特的代谢特征，迫使代谢物在细胞间交换，这些代谢物既是能量前体又是旁分泌信号。这种生物学特征的范例是星形胶质细胞-神经元对，其中星形胶质细胞的糖酵解代谢与神经元的线粒体氧化活性形成对比。星形胶质细胞产生丰富的线粒体活性氧物质并穿梭到神经元糖酵解衍生的代谢物，如 L-乳酸和 L-丝氨酸，维持能量需求，保存氧化还原状态并调节神经递质 - 受体活性。相反，这种代谢合作的早期破坏可能会导致几种神经系统疾病的发生或进展，因此需要创新疗法来保持大脑能量。