Language
English
Publication Date
7-1-2025
Journal
Nature Communications
DOI
10.1038/s41467-025-60308-0
PMID
40595484
PMCID
PMC12217672
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
7-1-2025
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
The brain vasculature supplies neurons with glucose and oxygen, but little is known about how vascular plasticity contributes to brain function. Using longitudinal in vivo imaging, we report that a substantial proportion of blood vessels in the adult mouse brain sporadically occlude and regress. Their regression proceeds through sequential stages of blood-flow occlusion, endothelial cell collapse, relocation or loss of pericytes, and retraction of glial endfeet. Regressing vessels are found to be widespread in mouse, monkey and human brains. We further reveal that blood vessel regression cause a reduction of neuronal activity due to a dysfunction in mitochondrial metabolism and glutamate production. Our results elucidate the mechanism of vessel regression and its role in neuronal function in the adult brain.
Keywords
Animals, Neurons, Humans, Brain, Mice, Male, Mitochondria, Endothelial Cells, Glutamic Acid, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Blood Vessels, Female, Pericytes, Cerebrovascular Circulation, Metabolomics, Neuro-vascular interactions
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Gao, Xiaofei; Chen, Xing-Jun; Ye, Meng; et al., "Reduction of Neuronal Activity Mediated by Blood-Vessel Regression in the Adult Brain" (2025). Huffington Center on Aging Staff Publications. 50.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/aging_research/50