Reduction of neuronal activity mediated by blood-vessel regression in the adult brain
Xiaofei Gao, Xing-jun Chen, Meng Ye, Jun-Liszt Li, Nannan Lu, Di Yao, Bo Ci, Fei Chen, Lijun Zheng, Yating Yi, Shiwen Zhang, Zhanying Bi, Xinwei Gao, Yuanlei Yue, Tingbo Li, Jiafu Lin, Ying-Chao Shi, Kaibin Shi, Nicholas E. Propson, Yubin Huang, Katherine Poinsatte, Zhaohuan Zhang, Dale B. Bosco, Shi‐Bing Yang, Ralf H. Adams, Volkhard Lindner, Fen Huang, Long‐Jun Wu, Hui Zheng, Simon Hippenmeyer, Ann Stowe, Bo Peng, Marta Margeta, Qingchun Guo, Xiaoqun Wang, Qiang Liu, Jakob Körbelin, Martin Trepel, Hui Lü, Guoen Cai, Bo Zhou, Bo Shen, Ying‐Mei Lu, Wenzhi Sun, Jie‐Min Jia, Feng Han, Hu Zhao, Robert Bachoo, Woo‐Ping Ge
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. The role of vascular plasticity in brain function remains poorly understood. Here, the authors demonstrate that a significant portion of blood vessels in the adult brain periodically occlude and regress, a process that is associated with a reduction in neuronal activity.