TY - JOUR

T1 - Preserved blood-brain barrier and neurovascular coupling in female 5xFAD model of Alzheimer's disease

AU - Zhukov, Oleg

AU - He, Chen

AU - Soylu-Kucharz, Rana

AU - Cai, Changsi

AU - Lauritzen, Andreas D

AU - Aldana, Blanca Irene

AU - Björkqvist, Maria

AU - Lauritzen, Martin

AU - Kucharz, Krzysztof

N1 - Copyright © 2023 Zhukov, He, Soylu-Kucharz, Cai, Lauritzen, Aldana, Björkqvist, Lauritzen and Kucharz.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - INTRODUCTION: Dysfunction of the cerebral vasculature is considered one of the key components of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the mechanisms affecting individual brain vessels are poorly understood.METHODS: Here, using in vivo two-photon microscopy in superficial cortical layers and ex vivo imaging across brain regions, we characterized blood-brain barrier (BBB) function and neurovascular coupling (NVC) at the level of individual brain vessels in adult female 5xFAD mice, an aggressive amyloid- β (A β) model of AD. RESULTS: We report a lack of abnormal increase in adsorptive-mediated transcytosis of albumin and preserved paracellular barrier for fibrinogen and small molecules despite an extensive load of A β. Likewise, the NVC responses to somatosensory stimulation were preserved at all regulatory segments of the microvasculature: penetrating arterioles, precapillary sphincters, and capillaries. Lastly, the A β plaques did not affect the density of capillary pericytes. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide direct evidence of preserved microvascular function in the 5xFAD mice and highlight the critical dependence of the experimental outcomes on the choice of preclinical models of AD. We propose that the presence of parenchymal A β does not warrant BBB and NVC dysfunction and that the generalized view that microvascular impairment is inherent to A β aggregation may need to be revised.

AB - INTRODUCTION: Dysfunction of the cerebral vasculature is considered one of the key components of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the mechanisms affecting individual brain vessels are poorly understood.METHODS: Here, using in vivo two-photon microscopy in superficial cortical layers and ex vivo imaging across brain regions, we characterized blood-brain barrier (BBB) function and neurovascular coupling (NVC) at the level of individual brain vessels in adult female 5xFAD mice, an aggressive amyloid- β (A β) model of AD. RESULTS: We report a lack of abnormal increase in adsorptive-mediated transcytosis of albumin and preserved paracellular barrier for fibrinogen and small molecules despite an extensive load of A β. Likewise, the NVC responses to somatosensory stimulation were preserved at all regulatory segments of the microvasculature: penetrating arterioles, precapillary sphincters, and capillaries. Lastly, the A β plaques did not affect the density of capillary pericytes. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide direct evidence of preserved microvascular function in the 5xFAD mice and highlight the critical dependence of the experimental outcomes on the choice of preclinical models of AD. We propose that the presence of parenchymal A β does not warrant BBB and NVC dysfunction and that the generalized view that microvascular impairment is inherent to A β aggregation may need to be revised.

U2 - 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1089005

DO - 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1089005

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37261266

VL - 15

JO - Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

JF - Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

SN - 1663-4365

M1 - 1089005

ER -