Lactate transporters play an important role in the glutamate recycling. Here their kinetics and tissue distribution with emphasis on the brain are addressed. Recent evidence shows their participation in important brain functions that involve intercellular communication, such as hypothalamic glucose sensing. Furthermore, we describe the regulation of their expression and some animal models that have allowed clarification of their functions.
Keywords: Astrocytes; Glucosensing; Glutamate transporters; Ketone bodies; Lactate; Lactate transporters; Oligodendrocytes; Tanycytes.