Neural activity is accompanied by a transient mismatch between local glucose and oxygen metabolism, a phenomenon of physiological and pathophysiological importance termed aerobic glycolysis. Previous studies have proposed glutamate and K + as the neuronal signals that trigger aerobic glycolysis in astrocytes. Here we used a panel of genetically encoded FRET sensors in vitro and in vivo to investigate the participation of NH + 4 , a by-product of catabolism that is also released by active neurons. Astrocytes in mixed cortical cultures responded to physiological levels of NH + 4 with an acute rise in cytosolic lactate followed by lactate release into the extracellular space, as detected by a lactate-sniffer. An acute increase in astrocytic lactate was also observed in acute hippocampal slices exposed to NH + 4 and in the somatosensory cortex of anesthetized mice in response to i.v. NH + 4 . Unexpectedly, NH + 4 had no effect on astrocytic glucose consumption. Parallel measurements showed simultaneous cytosolic pyruvate accumulation and NADH depletion, suggesting the involvement of mitochondria. An inhibitor-stop technique confirmed a strong inhibition of mitochondrial pyruvate uptake that can be explained by mitochondrial matrix acidification. These results show that physiological NH + 4 diverts the flux of pyruvate from mitochondria to lactate production and release. Considering that NH + 4 is produced stoichiometrically with glutamate during excitatory neurotransmission, we propose that NH + 4 behaves as an intercellular signal and that pyruvate shunting contributes to aerobic lactate production by astrocytes.B rain tissue is almost exclusively energized by the oxidation of glucose. However, during neuronal activation, there is a larger increase in local glucose consumption relative to oxygen consumption (1). As this mismatch occurs in the presence of normal or augmented oxygen levels, it has been termed aerobic glycolysis, paralleling the signal detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging (2). Aerobic glycolysis and its associated lactate surge are causally linked to diverse functions of the brain in health and disease (3-10). Two signals are known to trigger aerobic glycolysis in brain tissue: glutamate and K + , which are released by active neurons and stimulate glycolysis in astrocytes (11,12).Neurons produce as much NH + 4 as they produce glutamate, both molecules being stoichiometrically linked in the glutamateglutamine cycle (13). Brain tissue NH + 4 increases within seconds of neural activation (14-16) and is quickly released to the interstitium (17, 18) to be captured by astrocytes through K + channels and transporters (19). It is well established that chronic exposure to pathological levels of NH + 4 such as those observed during liver failure has a major impact on brain metabolism, but it is not known whether this molecule may affect energy metabolism at physiological levels, particularly within the time scale of synaptic transmission. A previous study showed a reversible rise in brain tissue la...