How blood vessels perceive the metabolic state of neurons

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Das Gehirn ist unser energiehungrigstes und metabolisch aktives Organ. Es ist verantwortlich für unsere Gedanken, Ideen, Bewegung und Lernfähigkeit. Unser Gehirn wird von 600 km Blutgefäßen angetrieben, die ihm Nährstoffe bringen und Abfallprodukte entfernen. Das Gehirn ist jedoch auch sehr zerbrechlich. So haben sich die Blutgefäße im Gehirn zu einer engen Schutzbarriere entwickelt – der Blut-Hirn-Schranke -, die die Bewegung von Molekülen in und aus dem Gehirn einschränkt. Es ist wichtig, dass das Gehirn seine Umgebung regulieren kann. Einerseits wird verhindert, dass Krankheitserreger oder Toxine in das Gehirn gelangen, andererseits können erforderliche Botenstoffe oder Nährstoffe ungehindert durch sie gelangen. Epigenetik …
The brain is our most energy hungry and metabolic active organ. It is responsible for our thoughts, ideas, movement and ability to learn. Our brain is powered by 600 km of blood vessels that bring nutrients and remove waste products. However, the brain is also very fragile. The blood vessels in the brain have developed into a narrow protective barrier-the blood-brain barrier-that restricts the movement of molecules in and out of the brain. It is important that the brain can regulate its surroundings. On the one hand, pathogens or toxins are prevented from getting into the brain, on the other hand, necessary messenger substances or nutrients can get through them unhindered. Epigenetics ... (Symbolbild/natur.wiki)

The brain is our energy hungry and metabolic active organ. It is responsible for our thoughts, ideas, movement and ability to learn. Our brain is powered by 600 km of blood vessels that bring nutrients and remove waste products. However, the brain is also very fragile. The blood vessels in the brain have developed into a narrow protective barrier-the blood-brain barrier-that restricts the movement of molecules in and out of the brain. It is important that the brain can regulate its surroundings. On the one hand, pathogens or toxins are prevented from getting into the brain, on the other hand, necessary messenger substances or nutrients can get through them unhindered.

epigenetics the nutrition program switches on
Because of their close relationship, it is important that the brain and its vessels speak intensely. The latest works in the ASIFA Akhtar laboratory in Freiburg have shown that blood vessels can capture the metabolic state of neighboring nerve cells.

The researchers found that the epigenetic regulator MOF is required to equip neurons with the right metabolic enzymes that are required for the processing of fatty acids. "Something has to tell the nerve cells that there are nutrients and they should switch on the programs required for their processing," explains Bilal Sheikh, main author of the study. "MOF goes to the DNA and switches on the genetic programs with which cells can process fatty acids in the brain."

fatty acids occur in food and are used for energy generation and the development of complex lipids required in cell membranes. If the activity of mop is incorrect, as is the case with neural developmental disorders, the neurons cannot process fatty acids. This leads to their accumulation in the spaces between the brain cells. In their studies, the ASIFA Akhtar team found that this imbalance of fatty acids is perceived by the neural blood vessels, which stimulates it to build a stress reaction by loosening the blood-brain barrier. If the metabolic imbalance remains, the leaky blood-brain barrier can trigger a diseased condition.

breakdown of neural blood vessels
The study lays the basis for a better understanding of how nerve cells and blood vessels talk to each other in the brain, and shows how changes in the metabolic milieu of a cell type in a complex organ can influence the functionality of the surrounding cells directly and thus influence the overall organ function. "Our work shows that the right metabolism in the brain is crucial for its health. A defective neural metabolic environment can have a vascular inflammation, a dysfunction of the cells that form the blood-brain barrier and cause increased permeability. What can follow is a collapse of the neural blood vessels," explains Asifa Akhtar. This is particularly important because the dismantling of neural blood vessels is a characteristic feature for the beginning of age -related diseases such as Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. A better characterization of the molecular changes that induce vascular dysfunction will help to develop better treatments for these weakening pathologies.