Microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS), play important functions in the healthy and diseased brain. In the emerging field of immunometabolism, progress has been made in understanding how cellular metabolism can orchestrate the key responses of tissue macrophages, such as phagocytosis and inflammation. However, very little is known about the metabolic control of microglia. Lactate, now recognized as a crucial metabolite and a central substrate in metabolic flexibility, is emerging not only as a novel bioenergetic fuel for microglial metabolism but also as a potential modulator of cellular function. Parallels with macrophages will help in understanding how microglial lactate metabolism is implicated in brain physiology and pathology, and how it could be targeted for therapeutic purposes.

小胶质细胞是中枢神经系统 (CNS) 的常驻巨噬细胞，在健康和患病的大脑中发挥重要作用。在新兴的免疫代谢领域，在了解细胞代谢如何协调组织巨噬细胞的关键反应（如吞噬作用和炎症）方面取得了进展。然而，关于小胶质细胞的代谢控制知之甚少。乳酸，现在被认为是一种重要的代谢物和代谢灵活性的中心底物，不仅作为一种新的小胶质细胞代谢的生物能量燃料，而且作为一种潜在的细胞功能调节剂而出现。与巨噬细胞的相似之处将有助于了解小胶质细胞乳酸代谢如何与大脑生理和病理学有关，以及它如何被用于治疗目的。