Intensified expressions of a monocarboxylate transporter in consistently renewing tissues of the mouse.

Monocarboxylates-lactate and ketone bodies-can compensate for glucose as energy sources under certain physical conditions. To identify the main energy source used in self-renewing tissues, expression profiles of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) were mainly investigated immunohistochemically in the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and bone marrow of mice, with reference to glucose transporters. In the small intestine, MCT1-immunoreactive epithelial cells accumulated in crypts with a selective immunolabeling along the basolateral membrane of cells. BrdU-labeled dividing cells were included in the cryptal MCT1-immunoreactive foci. The skin displayed an intense and extensive immunoreactivity for MCT1 in the hair bulge, which gives rise to the epidermis, hair, and sebaceous gland. The stratified squamous epithelium in the esophagus contained MCT1-immunoreactive cells in the basal layer but frequently lacked GLUT1-immunoreactive cells. The bone marrow was largely immunoreactive for MCT1 but not for GLUT1, suggesting the active production and utilization of monocarboxylates for hematopoiesis under hypoxic conditions. These findings support the idea that monocarboxylates are favorite energy sources in self-renewing tissues.