Lactate

[mathsphd]

Hi All,

I have searched the litreture for means of lacate production other than from glycolysis and didn't seem to find another way in which lactate is produced inside the cell. Please if you happen to know otherwise let me know. Also, lactate is shown to enhance cell migration and it can be utilised as an energy source in embroys.
Is it used up in any other normal cellular function?

I also found that the half life of lactate is 60 minutes after exercise and 18 hours after shock. But, couldn't find its half-life in a normal functioning cell . Any hints?

My background is not biology and so it would be grateful if you provide some hints or confirmations.

Cheers
Mary

[casually]

in mammalian cells i also happen to know only what you said.
as far as i know lactate is produced during glycolysis under anaerobic conditions and that is under physical workout. so 60 minutes may be the "normal" half life, cause why should it be produced otherwise.
cheers

[MrMistery]

it also depends on what cell type you are referring to. Muscle cells do not produce lactate (at all) unless they are deprived of oxygen, which happens during physical exercise. However, for example some cells of the retina normally have a storage of lactate as part of their regular metabolism.
But as far as the biochemistry is concerned, I don't think there's any other way than reduction of pyruvate to produce lactate.

[mathsphd]

it also depends on what cell type you are referring to. Muscle cells do not produce lactate (at all) unless they are deprived of oxygen, which happens during physical exercise. However, for example some cells of the retina normally have a storage of lactate as part of their regular metabolism.
But as far as the biochemistry is concerned, I don't think there's any other way than reduction of pyruvate to produce lactate.

I am looking at cells in general under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. So, can I conclude that lactate is produced only under anaerobic conditions and nothing else. ie. cells don't generally produce it so they can utilise it in other cellular metabolism ? Please confirm if you have a definite reference as I need to be sure.
If I am looking at a standard cell undergoing anarobic metabolism, should I take the half-life for lactate to be 60 minutes or 18 hours or something else?

Please help, it is much appreciated.

[MrMistery]

this is a very complex topic, and you can't really say there is one answer for all cells:
http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/15/7/5179
http://pt.wkhealth.com/pt/re/jneu/abstr ... 28!8091!-1

[mathsphd]

Many thanks for the reference, I will have a read at it and let you know.

Cheers.