Loss of Brain Aerobic Glycolysis in Normal Human Aging

Publication date: 1 August 2017
Source:Cell Metabolism, Volume 26, Issue 2
Author(s): Manu S. Goyal, Andrei G. Vlassenko, Tyler M. Blazey, Yi Su, Lars E. Couture, Tony J. Durbin, Randall J. Bateman, Tammie L.-S. Benzinger, John C. Morris, Marcus E. Raichle
The normal aging human brain experiences global decreases in metabolism, but whether this affects the topography of brain metabolism is unknown. Here we describe PET-based measurements of brain glucose uptake, oxygen utilization, and blood flow in cognitively normal adults from 20 to 82 years of age. Age-related decreases in brain glucose uptake exceed that of oxygen use, resulting in loss of brain aerobic glycolysis (AG). Whereas the topographies of total brain glucose uptake, oxygen utilization, and blood flow remain largely stable with age, brain AG topography changes significantly. Brain regions with high AG in young adults show the greatest change, as do regions with prolonged developmental transcriptional features (i.e., neoteny). The normal aging human brain thus undergoes characteristic metabolic changes, largely driven by global loss and topographic changes in brain AG.

Graphical abstract

Teaser

Prior work has shown that brain glucose metabolism falls with normal aging. Goyal et al. now find that this change in glucose metabolism is largely due to loss of aerobic glycolysis. Using PET imaging, they further demonstrate that the regional topography of brain aerobic glycolysis changes significantly with normal aging.


http://ift.tt/2wiiSyH