| First Author | Morland C | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | Nat Commun | Volume | 8 |
| Pages | 15557 | PubMed ID | 28534495 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:249691 | Mgi Id | MGI:5920771 |
| Doi | 10.1038/ncomms15557 | Citation | Morland C, et al. (2017) Exercise induces cerebral VEGF and angiogenesis via the lactate receptor HCAR1. Nat Commun 8:15557 |
| abstractText | Physical exercise can improve brain function and delay neurodegeneration; however, the initial signal from muscle to brain is unknown. Here we show that the lactate receptor (HCAR1) is highly enriched in pial fibroblast-like cells that line the vessels supplying blood to the brain, and in pericyte-like cells along intracerebral microvessels. Activation of HCAR1 enhances cerebral vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and cerebral angiogenesis. High-intensity interval exercise (5 days weekly for 7 weeks), as well as L-lactate subcutaneous injection that leads to an increase in blood lactate levels similar to exercise, increases brain VEGFA protein and capillary density in wild-type mice, but not in knockout mice lacking HCAR1. In contrast, skeletal muscle shows no vascular HCAR1 expression and no HCAR1-dependent change in vascularization induced by exercise or lactate. Thus, we demonstrate that a substance released by exercising skeletal muscle induces supportive effects in brain through an identified receptor. |
