Lasse K. Bak, associate professor, Ph.D.
Dept. of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
2 Universitetsparken
2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Phone +45 35 33 63 04
Fax +45 35 33 60 21
E-mail: laba(at)farma.ku.dk
My office is located in building 22, 2nd floor, room C.215 (entrance 160 Jagtvej)
Research and teaching
Research Section: Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology
Research Unit: NeuroMet
Primary research interests:
- Brain energy metabolism
- Ammonia homeostasis during synaptic activity and hyperammonemia
- Biology of brain mitochondria
A description of individual projects and the applied methodology may be found on the NeuroMet web page.
Current funding as PI:
- Aase & Ejnar Danielsen Foundation (2011-2013): 200,000 DKK
- The Hørslev Foundation (2011-2013): 210,000 DKK
- The Lundbeck Foundation (2012-2013): 200,000 DKK
Cummulative funding obtained in the previous three years:
As PI: 798,000 DKK
As co-PI: 3,600,000 DKK
Teaching activities in 2011/2012: Biochemistry for pharmacy students; Organ-related pharmacology for pharmacy students; Pharmacology: From physiology to therapy for the M.Sc. program in phamaceutical sciences; Introductory pharmaceutical course for pharmacy students
Short CV
Education
November 2006: Ph.D. in neuropharmacology, Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences
April 2003: M.Sc. in pharmacy, Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences
---
Past employment
January 2007- June 2009: Post doc. (funded by the Carlsberg Foundation), Dept. of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
November 2003-November 2006: Ph.D. student, Dept. of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences
---
Other relevant activities
January 2008-December 2008: Period of study, Cell Signalling Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Australia. Supervisor: Dr. Phillip J. Robinson
February 2005-July 2005: Period of study, School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Supervisor: Professor Stefan Bröer
List of Publications
Original papers
Obel L.F., Andersen K.M.H., Bak L.K., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H.S. (2011) Effects of adrenergic agents on intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and metabolism of glucose in astrocytes with an emphasis on pyruvate carboxylation, oxidative decarboxylation and recycling: Implications for glutamate neurotransmission and excitotoxicity. Neurotox Res. In press
Schousboe A., Sickmann H.S., Bak L.K., Schousboe I., Jajo F., Faek S., Waagepetersen H.S. (2011) Neuron-glia interactions in glutamatergic neurotransmission: Roles of oxidative and glycolytic ATP as energy source. J. Neurosci. Res. 89(12): 1926-1934.
Dam G., Keiding S., Munk O.L., Ott P., Buhl M., Vilstrup H., Bak L.K., Waagepetersen H.S., Schousboe A., Moller N., Sørensen M. (2011) Branched-chain amino acids increase arterial ammonia in spite of enhanced intrinsic muscle ammonia metabolism in patients with cirrhosis and healthy subjects. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 301(2): G269-277.
Sandelin A., Hansen H. R., Baldursdottir S., Kristensen A. S., Bak, L. K., Christiansen, F. V., Selhuber-Unkel C. (2011) The value of example solutions in pharmacy education: the role of seniority and gender. Pharmacy Education 11(1): 32-37.
Leke R., Bak L. K., Iversen P., Sørensen M., Keiding S., Vilstrup H., Ott P., Portela L. V., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2011) Synthesis of neurotransmitter GABA via the neuronal tricarboxylic acid cycle is elevated in rats with liver cirrhosis consistent with a high GABAergic tone in chronic hepatic encephalopathy. J. Neurochem. 117(5):824-832.
Dadsetan S., Bak L. K., Sørensen M., Keiding S., Vilstrup H., Ott P., Leke R., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2011) Inhibition of glutamine synthesis induces glutamate dehydrogenase-dependent ammonia fixation into alanine in co-cultures of astrocytes and neurons. Neurochem. Int. 59(4): 482-8.
Leke R., Bak L. K., Anker M., Melø T. M., Sørensen M., Keiding S., Vilstrup H., Ott P., Portela L. V., Sonnewald U., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2010) Detoxification of ammonia in mouse cortical GABAergic cell cultures increases neuronal oxidative metabolism and reveals an emerging role for release of glucose-derived alanine. Neurotox. Res. 19(3): 496-510.
Bak L. K., Walls A. B., Schousboe A., Ring A., Sonnewald A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2009) Neuronal glucose but not lactate utilization is positively correlated with NMDA-induced neurotransmission and fluctuations in cytosolic Ca2+ levels. J. Neurochem. 109(suppl. 1): 87-93.
Bak L. K., Iversen P., Sørensen M., Keiding S., Vilstrup H., Ott P., Waagepetersen H. S., Schousboe A. (2009) Metabolic fate of isoleucine in a rat model of hepatic encephalopathy and in cultured neural cells exposed to ammonia. Metab. Brain Dis. 24(1): 135-145.
Iversen P., Sørensen M., Bak L. K., Waagepetersen H. S., Vafaee M. S., Borghammer P., Mouridsen K., Jensen S. B., Vilstrup H., Schousboe A., Ott P., Gjedde A., Keiding S. (2009) Low cerebral oxygen consumption and blood flow in patients with cirrhosis and an acute episode of hepatic encephalopathy. Gastroenterology. 136: 863-871.
Leke R., Bak L. K., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2008) Demonstration of neuron-glia transfer of Precursors for GABA biosynthesis in a co-culture system of dissociated mouse cerebral cortex. Neurochem. Res. 33(12):2629-2635.
Bak L. K., Ziemińska E., Waagepetersen H. S., Schousboe A., Albrecht J. (2007) Metabolism of [U-13C]glutamine and [U-13C]glutamate in isolated rat brain mitochondria suggests functional phosphate-activated glutaminase activity in matrix. Neurochem. Res. 33(2): 273-278.
Bak L. K., Johansen M. L., Schousboe, A., Waagepetersen, H. S. (2007) Among the branched-chain amino acids only valine metabolism is up-regulated in astrocytes during glutamate exposure. J. Neurosci. Res. 85: 3465-3470.
Johansen M. L., Bak L. K., Schousboe A., Iversen P., Sørensen M., Keiding S., Vilstrup H., Gjedde A., Ott P., Waagepetersen H. S. (2007) The metabolic role of isoleucine in detoxification of ammonia in cultured mouse neurons and astrocytes. Neurochem. Int. 50: 1042-1051.
Bak L. K., Waageetersen H. S., Melø T. M. Schousboe A., Sonnewald U. (2007) Complex glutamate labeling from [U-13C]glucose or [U-13C]lactate in co-cultures of cerebellar neurons and astrocytes. Neurochem. Res. 32(4-5): 671-680.
Bak L. K., Sonnewald U., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2006) Glucose is necessary to maintain neurotransmitter homeostasis during synaptic activity in cultured glutamatergic neurons. J. Cereb. Blood Flow Metab. 26: 1285-1297.
Sonnewald U., Kortner T. M., Qu H., Olstad E., Suñol C., Bak L. K., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2006) Demonstration of extensive GABA synthesis in the small population of GAD positive neurons in cerebellar cultures by the use of pharmacological tools. Neurochem. Int. 48(6-7): 572-578.
Bröer A., Tietze N., Kowalczuk S., Chubb S., Munzinger M., Bak L. K., Bröer S. (2006) The orphan transporter v7-3 (SLC6A15) is a Na+-dependent neutral amino acid transporter (B0AT2). Biochem. J. 393(1): 421-430.
Bak L. K., Sickman H. M., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2005) The activity of the lactate-alanine shuttle is independent of glutamate-glutamine cycle activity in cerebellar neuronal-astrocytic cultures. J. Neurosci. Res. 79(1-2): 88-96.
Bak L. K., Waagepetersen H. S., Schousboe A. (2004) Role of astrocytes in depolarization-coupled release of glutamate in cerebellar cultures. Neurochem. Res. 29(1): 257-265.
Bak L. K., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2003) Characterization of depolarization-coupled glutamate release from cultured mouse cerebellar granule cells using DL-threo-ß-benzyloxy-aspartate (DL-TBOA) to distinguish between the vesicular and cytoplasmic pools. Neurochem. Int. 43(4-5): 417-424.
Review papers
Schousboe A., Sickmann H. M., Walls A. B., Bak, L. K., Waagepetersen H. S. (2010) Functional importance of the astrocytic glycogen-shunt and glycolysis for maintenance of an intact intra/extracellular glutamate gradient. Neurotox. Res. 18(1): 94-9
Schousboe A., Bak L. K., Sickmann H. M., Sonnewald U., Waagepetersen H. S. (2007) Energy substrates to support glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic function: Role of glycogen, glucose and lactate. Neurotox. Res. 12(4): 263-268.
Bak L. K., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2006) The glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle: aspects of transport, neurotransmitter homeostasis and ammonia transfer. J. Neurochem. 98(3): 641-653.
Schousboe A., Sarup A., Bak L. K., Waagepetersen H. S., Larsson O. M. (2004) Role of astrocytic transport processes in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. Neurochem. Int. 45(4): 521-527.
Book chapters
Bak L. K., Waagepetersen H. S., Schousboe A. (2011) Brain energy and ammonia metabolism. In: Functional Molecular Imaging in Hepatology, Keiding S. & Sørensen M., eds. Bentham E-books, Bentham Science Publishers Ltd., Bussum, The Netherlands. In press
Bak L. K., Schousboe A., Waagepetersen H. S. (2011) Glutamate and glutamine in brain disorders. In: Neurochemical Mechanisms in Disease, Blass, J. P., ed. Series title: Advances in Neurobiology, Lajtha, A., ed. Springer-Verlag, Heidelburg, Germany, pp. 195-212.
Bak, L. K. (2010) Planning and execution of a one-day PhD course employing the theory of didactical situations. In: Cristiansen F. V., Rump C., Degn L., editors. Improving University Science Teaching and Learning, Pedagogical Projects 2008, vol. 1. Published by the Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
