{"title":"WNK1 Alleviates Chloride Efflux-Induced NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Subsequent Neuroinflammation in Early Brain Injury Following Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.","authors":"Panpan Zhao, Huimiao Feng, Xinyu Zhou, Jingyuan Zhou, Fangbo Hu, Taotao Hu, Yong Sun","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01414-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12264-025-01414-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays a crucial role in the prognosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). WNK1 kinase negatively regulates NLRP3 in various inflammatory conditions, but its role in early brain injury (EBI) after SAH remains unclear. In this study, we used an in vivo SAH model in rats/mice and AAV-WNK1 intraventricular injection to investigate its neuroprotective mechanisms. WNK1 expression was significantly reduced in SAH patient blood and SAH model brain tissue, correlating negatively with microglial activation. AAV-WNK1 alleviated brain edema, neuronal necrosis, behavioral deficits, and inflammation by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. In hemin-stimulated BV-2 cells, WNK1 overexpression reduced NLRP3 activation and inflammatory cytokines. Chloride counteracted WNK1's inhibitory effects, and WNK1 suppressed P2X7R-induced NLRP3 activation. Mechanistically, WNK1 functioned via the OXSR1/STK39 pathway. These findings highlight WNK1 as a key regulator of intracellular chloride balance and neuroinflammation, presenting a potential therapeutic target for SAH treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"1570-1588"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12433386/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144151222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Neuroscience bulletinPub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-05-30DOI: 10.1007/s12264-025-01428-x
Limei Song, Yuqing Zhang, Mengqi Feng, Wenwen Su, Riming Zhu, Bin Zhang, Xia Zhang, Jie Li
{"title":"Sexually Dimorphic Cellular Architecture and Neural Circuity of ovBNST Proenkephalin Neurons.","authors":"Limei Song, Yuqing Zhang, Mengqi Feng, Wenwen Su, Riming Zhu, Bin Zhang, Xia Zhang, Jie Li","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01428-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12264-025-01428-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sexual dimorphism in the brain underlies behavioral differences between sexes. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a complex nucleus that differs between males and females, but the sexual dimorphism in cytoarchitecture and the connectome of its oval subdivision (ovBNST) remains largely unexplored. By combining snRNA-seq and transgenic labeling, we found a higher density of ovBNST proenkephalin (ovBNST<sup>PENK</sup>) neurons in male than female mice. Anatomically, we virally mapped the efferents and afferents of ovBNST<sup>PENK</sup> neurons, finding reciprocally dimorphic connections with the hypothalamus and striatum. Gene enrichment analysis suggests that ovBNST<sup>PENK</sup> neurons are modulated by the upstream dopamine pathway. Functionally, by applying caspase-3-mediated depletion of ovBNST<sup>PENK</sup> neurons, we found that loss of these neurons enhanced locomotor activity in male but not female mice, without altering the anxiety-like phenotypes in either sex. Our study may pave the way for a better understanding of the anatomical and functional profiles of ovBNST<sup>PENK</sup> neurons from a sexually dimorphic perspective.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"1589-1602"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12433428/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144187386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Neuroscience bulletinPub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-06-24DOI: 10.1007/s12264-025-01448-7
Yanglin Qin, Wei Wang, Yu Gu, Xuefeng Shi
{"title":"Recent Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Ocular Dominance Plasticity in the Visual Cortex.","authors":"Yanglin Qin, Wei Wang, Yu Gu, Xuefeng Shi","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01448-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12264-025-01448-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The visual cortex is an essential part of the brain for processing visual information. It exhibits structural and functional plasticity, which is crucial for adapting to complex visual environments. The quintessential manifestation of visual cortical plasticity is ocular dominance plasticity during the critical period, which involves numerous cellular and molecular events. While previous studies have emphasized the role of visual cortical neurons and their associated functional molecules in visual plasticity, recent findings have revealed that structural factors such as the extracellular matrix and glia are also involved. Investigating how these molecules interact to form a complex network that facilitates plasticity in the visual cortex is crucial to our understanding of the development of the visual system and the advancement of therapeutic strategies for visual disorders like amblyopia.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"1645-1655"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12433398/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144476144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Endothelial Cell Integrin α6 Regulates Vascular Remodeling Through the PI3K/Akt-eNOS-VEGFA Axis After Stroke.","authors":"Bing-Qiao Wang, Yang-Ying Duan, Mao Chen, Yu-Fan Ma, Ru Chen, Cheng Huang, Fei Gao, Rui Xu, Chun-Mei Duan","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01403-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12264-025-01403-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The angiogenic response is essential for the repair of ischemic brain tissue. Integrin α6 (Itga6) expression has been shown to increase under hypoxic conditions and is expressed exclusively in vascular structures; however, its role in post-ischemic angiogenesis remains poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that mice with endothelial cell-specific knockout of Itga6 exhibit reduced neovascularization, reduced pericyte coverage on microvessels, and accelerated breakdown of microvascular integrity in the peri-infarct area. In vitro, endothelial cells with ITGA6 knockdown display reduced proliferation, migration, and tube-formation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that ITGA6 regulates post-stroke angiogenesis through the PI3K/Akt-eNOS-VEGFA axis. Importantly, the specific overexpression of Itga6 in endothelial cells significantly enhanced neovascularization and enhanced the integrity of microvessels, leading to improved functional recovery. Our results suggest that endothelial cell Itga6 plays a crucial role in key steps of post-stroke angiogenesis, and may represent a promising therapeutic target for promoting recovery after stroke.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"1522-1536"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12433384/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144037530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Neuroscience bulletinPub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-06-29DOI: 10.1007/s12264-025-01438-9
Nicole Bens, Arnold Chang, Richard Ortiz, Joshua Leaston, Praveen Kulkarni, Rosemarie Hightower, Sophia Prom, Nicholas O'Hare, Eno Ebong, Craig F Ferris
{"title":"Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Mild Repetitive Head Injury in Awake Rats: Modeling the Human Experience and Clinical Condition.","authors":"Nicole Bens, Arnold Chang, Richard Ortiz, Joshua Leaston, Praveen Kulkarni, Rosemarie Hightower, Sophia Prom, Nicholas O'Hare, Eno Ebong, Craig F Ferris","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01438-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12264-025-01438-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mild repetitive head injury is a serious health problem with long-term negative consequences. Changes in brain neurobiology were assessed with MRI in a model of head injury designed to reflect the human experience. Rats were maintained on a reverse light-dark cycle and head impacted daily at 24 h intervals over three days while fully awake under red light illumination. There was no neuroradiological evidence of brain damage. Rats were imaged for changes in blood brain barrier permeability, edema and gray matter microarchitecture, and resting state functional connectivity. Data were registered to a 3D MRI rat atlas with 173 segmented brain areas providing site-specific information on each imaging modality. Changes in BBB permeability were minimal and localized to the hippocampus and cerebellum. There was evidence of cytotoxic edema in the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum. There was a global decrease in connectivity and an increase in gliosis in the thalamus, cerebellum, and hippocampus. This study shows a sequelae of neuropathology caused by mild repetitive head injury that is commonly observed in clinical practice using MRI in patients. As such, it may serve as a model for testing the efficacy of new therapeutics using any or all of the measures as biomarkers to assess drug efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"1603-1616"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12433400/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144529070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Neuroscience bulletinPub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-08-03DOI: 10.1007/s12264-025-01468-3
Zihui An, Shuo Yan, Jiayi Wang, Hanqing Qiu, Binghua Xie, Shumei Feng, Mengsheng Qiu, Zhou Tan
{"title":"Comparative Analysis of Histological Tools for Myelin.","authors":"Zihui An, Shuo Yan, Jiayi Wang, Hanqing Qiu, Binghua Xie, Shumei Feng, Mengsheng Qiu, Zhou Tan","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01468-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12264-025-01468-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Myelin is an essential structure that facilitates rapid saltatory conduction in the nervous system. Discrepancies in myelin microstructure are a hallmark of numerous neurological disorders, rendering the assessment of myelin integrity and content an indispensable tool in clinical diagnostics and neuroscience research. Extensive research has been dedicated to scrutinizing its biochemical makeup and morphology under normal, pathological, and experimental conditions over the years. In this review, we present an updated summary of the myelin sheath's structure, composition, and developmental trajectory. We systematically enumerate and contrast eight prevalent myelin staining techniques across dimensions of sensitivity, specificity, and resolution, delving into their underlying staining principles. With an initial application of myelin histology on the mouse demyelination model, our review accentuates the accurate delineation of myelination and the microstructural analysis of the myelin sheath. Such insights are anticipated to significantly contribute to the evaluation and understanding of white matter pathologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"1656-1668"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12433392/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144768823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Salvianolic Acid B and Ginsenoside Rg1 Combination Attenuates Cerebral Edema Accompanying Glymphatic Modulation.","authors":"Lingxiao Zhang, Yanan Shao, Zhao Fang, Siqi Chen, Yixuan Wang, Han Sha, Yuhan Zhang, Linlin Wang, Yi Jin, Hao Chen, Baohong Jiang","doi":"10.1007/s12264-025-01490-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-025-01490-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cerebral edema is characterized by fluid accumulation, and the glymphatic system (GS) plays a pivotal role in regulating fluid transport. Using the Tenecteplase system, magnesium salt of salvianolic acid B/ginsenoside Rg1 (SalB/Rg1) was injected intravenously into mice 4.5 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion and once every 24 h for the following 72 h. GS function was assessed by Evans blue imaging, near-infrared fluorescence region II (NIR-II) imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). SalB/Rg1 had significant effects on reducing the infarct volume and hemorrhagic transformation score, improving neurobehavioral function, and protecting tissue structure, especially inhibiting cerebral edema. Meanwhile, the influx/efflux drainage of GS was enhanced by SalB/Rg1 according to NIR-II imaging and MRI. SalB/Rg1 inhibited matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity, reduced cleaved β-dystroglycan (β-DG), and stabilized aquaporin-4 (AQP4) polarity, which was verified by colocalization with CD31. Our findings indicated that SalB/Rg1 treatment enhances GS function and attenuates cerebral edema, accompanying the regulation of the MMP9/β-DG/AQP4 pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":19314,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144963072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}