Endothelial EGLN3-PKM2 signaling induces the formation of acute astrocytic barrier to alleviate immune cell infiltration after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Background: Most subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients have no obvious hematoma lesions but exhibit blood-brain barrier dysfunction and vasogenic brain edema. However, there is a few days between blood‒brain barrier dysfunction and vasogenic brain edema. The present study sought to investigate whether this phenomenon is caused by endothelial injury induced by the acute astrocytic barrier, also known as the glial limitans.

Methods: Bioinformatics analyses of human endothelial cells and astrocytes under hypoxia were performed based on the GEO database. Wild-type, EGLN3 and PKM2 conditional knock-in mice were used to confirm glial limitan formation after SAH. Then, the effect of endothelial EGLN3-PKM2 signaling on temporal and spatial changes in glial limitans was evaluated in both in vivo and in vitro models of SAH.

Results: The data indicate that in the acute phase after SAH, astrocytes can form a temporary protective barrier, the glia limitans, around blood vessels that helps maintain barrier function and improve neurological prognosis. Molecular docking studies have shown that endothelial cells and astrocytes can promote glial limitans-based protection against early brain injury through EGLN3/PKM2 signaling and further activation of the PKC/ERK/MAPK signaling pathway in astrocytes after SAH.

Conclusion: Improving the ability to maintain glial limitans may be a new therapeutic strategy for improving the prognosis of SAH patients.