Lactate levels in brain help in monitoring aging process

WASHINGTON - Scientists have demonstrated that they may be able to monitor the aging process in the brain, by using MRI technique to measure the brain lactic acid levels.

The findings from Karolinska Institute scientists suggest that the lactate levels increase in advance of other aging symptoms, and therefore could be used as an indicator of aging and age-related diseases of the CNS.

“It’s exciting to think that we are one step closer to understanding what happens as the brain ages, and how a change of brain metabolism may be important during the onset of age-related changes and diseases,” sai, lead author of the study, Lars Olson.

The research group used both prematurely and normally aging mice to investigate the relationship between damage to mitochondria - the organelle responsible for energy production in the cell - and changes in metabolism during the aging process.

Previous studies have shown a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

The study stated that the damage to the mitochondria slowly increases with age in brains of mice and causes altered expression in certain genes that are responsible for the formation of lactate.

“Our study was conducted in mice, but the same technique can be used in humans. So there is hope that one day physicians might be able to give your brain a check-up and help determine its age by using MRI,”said Olson.

The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (ANI)