Brain metabolism

MM, Case 6, 🧪 Biochemistry

🗃️ Recall

🌟 Cues

  • Role of carbohydrates, lipids, and protein metabolism in the brain
  • Main energy fuel for the brain
  • Types of chemical neurotransmitters
  • Biochemical changes in multiple sclerosis
  • Glucose metabolism and neurotransmitter synthesis
  • Metabolism of CNS
  • Glutamate and GABA synthesis
  • Lipid metabolism in brain and myelin synthesis

🗒 Notes

The brain constitutes 2% of body weight but consumes 20% of total oxygen and 15% of cardiac output, highlighting its high metabolic demand. Glucose is the brain’s primary fuel, with daily consumption at 120g. Glycolysis contributes 10-20% of brain energy, while the Krebs cycle helps generate substrates for neuronal metabolism. The brain cannot use fatty acids as energy fuel, unlike muscles and the heart.

Neurotransmitters in the brain include small molecules like acetylcholine, biogenic amines (e.g., dopamine, serotonin), and amino acids like glutamate (excitatory) and GABA (inhibitory). Glucose metabolism in neurons provides precursors for these neurotransmitters. GABA is synthesized from glutamate and plays a role in reducing anxiety by binding to its receptors.

Myelin, crucial for fast nerve conduction, is synthesized from lipids. In multiple sclerosis (MS), myelin is progressively destroyed, impairing nerve function. MS may result from an autoimmune response, and impaired energy metabolism, including defects in pyruvate and lactate levels, can be indicators of demyelination.

📝 Summary

This lecture covered the importance of glucose metabolism in brain function and its role in neurotransmitter synthesis. It also explained the impact of lipid metabolism in myelin formation and how diseases like multiple sclerosis affect brain function through demyelination and energy metabolism impairment. Understanding these processes helps explain the brain’s energy needs and its vulnerability to metabolic imbalances.

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