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Brain Metabolic Adaptations to Hypoxia

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Metabolic Encephalopathy

Abstract

The mammalian brain depends totally on a continuous supply of oxygen to maintain its function. It is well known that in the brain, adaptation to hypoxia occurs through both systemic and vascular changes, which may include metabolic changes. However, the local metabolic changes related to energy metabolism that occur within the cell are not well described (Harik et al., 1994; Harik et al., 1995; LaManna and Harik, 1997). Investigating the metabolic adaptations of the central nervous system to mild hypoxia provides an understanding of the key components responsible for regulating cell survival. This chapter concerns itself with the metabolic responses of the brain to mild hypoxia, that is, to physiological hypoxia. This is the range of hypoxia that can be compensated for with physiological mechanisms that directly or indirectly involve energy related metabolic pathways.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Constantinos Tsipis for his technical support in the art work and in the preparation of this review. This research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, R01-NS38632 and P50 GM066309.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Michelle A. Puchowicz, Smruta S. Koppaka & Joseph C. LaManna

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  1. Michelle A. Puchowicz
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  1. Medicine & Science, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of, Green Bay Rd. 3333, North Chicago, 60064, Illinois, USA

    David W. McCandless

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Puchowicz, M.A., Koppaka, S.S., LaManna, J.C. (2009). Brain Metabolic Adaptations to Hypoxia. In: McCandless, D. (eds) Metabolic Encephalopathy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79112-8_2

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