Abstract

The study of the metabolic interactions between myelinating glia and the axons they enshroud has blossomed into an area of research much akin to the elucidation of the role of astrocytes in tripartite synapses (Tsacopoulos and Magistretti, 1996). Still, unlike astrocytes, rich in cytochrome-P450 and other anti-oxidative defense mechanisms (Minn et al., 1991; Wilson, 1997), oligodendrocytes can be easily damaged and are particularly sensitive to both hypoxia and oxidative stress, especially during their terminal differentiation phase and while generating myelin sheaths. In the present review, we will focus in the metabolic complexity of oligodendrocytes, particularly during the processes of differentiation and myelin deposition, and with a specific emphasis in the context of oxidative stress and the intricacies of the iron metabolism of the most iron-loaded cells of the central nervous system (CNS).