CO2 signaling mediates neurovascular coupling in the cerebral cortex.
Nat Commun
; 13(1): 2125, 2022 04 19.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35440557
Neurovascular coupling is a fundamental brain mechanism that regulates local cerebral blood flow (CBF) in response to changes in neuronal activity. Functional imaging techniques are commonly used to record these changes in CBF as a proxy of neuronal activity to study the human brain. However, the mechanisms of neurovascular coupling remain incompletely understood. Here we show in experimental animal models (laboratory rats and mice) that the neuronal activity-dependent increases in local CBF in the somatosensory cortex are prevented by saturation of the CO2-sensitive vasodilatory brain mechanism with surplus of exogenous CO2 or disruption of brain CO2/HCO3- transport by genetic knockdown of electrogenic sodium-bicarbonate cotransporter 1 (NBCe1) expression in astrocytes. A systematic review of the literature data shows that CO2 and increased neuronal activity recruit the same vasodilatory signaling pathways. These results and analysis suggest that CO2 mediates signaling between neurons and the cerebral vasculature to regulate brain blood flow in accord with changes in the neuronal activity.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Neurovascular Coupling
Type of study:
Systematic_reviews
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Nat Commun
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
/
CIENCIA
Year:
2022
Document type:
Article
Country of publication:
United kingdom