Mitochondrial damage and lactic acidosis

April 2001     View PDF     En español

What is mitochondrial toxicity and lactic acidosis?

Healthy cells normally produce lactate, a natural by-product when mitochondria process glucose and fat. The body routinely clears itself of lactate through normal body functions. However, mitochondrial toxicity can create abnormally high levels of lactate in the cells. This, in turn, can lead to lactic acidosis, a life-threatening condition caused by too much lactate.

In early stages of lactic acidosis, people experience shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and pain in the gut. At later stages (lactate levels over 5mmol/liter), it can lead to widespread loss of energy in the cells and cause organ failure and a high risk of death. In the past, such conditions may have simply been attributed to AIDS.