ArticleNature neuroscience2018
Dietary salt promotes neurovascular and cognitive dysfunction through a gut-initiated TH17 response.
Article in Nature neuroscience, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 222 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
222 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as a risk factor for cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open respiratory research · 2024Pooled it
- Aberrant IL-17 Levels in Rodent Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in immunology · 2022Pooled it
- Link Between Dietary Sodium Intake, Cognitive Function, and Dementia Risk in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Systematic Review.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2020Pooled it
- The Effects of a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention on Brain Function and Its Relation With Immunometabolic Markers and Intestinal Health in Older Adults at Risk of Cognitive Decline: Study Design and Baseline Characteristics of the HELI Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2025Trial
- Effects of altered salt intake and diet on cytokines in humans: A 20-week randomized cross-over intervention study.European journal of immunology · 2023Trial
- Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Postoperative Cognitive Decline in Elderly Patients: A Pilot Study.Clinical interventions in aging · 2021Trial
- Maresin1 Improves Angiogenesis and Cognitive Function by Regulating Perivascular Macrophages in Rats with Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion.Neurochemical research · 2026Article
- Animal models of multi-infarct dementia: Methodological approaches, neuropathology, functional outcomes, and translational relevance.Experimental neurology · 2026Review
- Beyond the guidelines: Vascular function as the central determinant and therapeutic target in hypertension.Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension · 2026Review
- Impact of High Dietary Salt on Neurovascular and Cognitive Functions.Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) · 2026Review
- Change in Association Between Minerals, Fatty Acids and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Wistar Rats with Different Diets.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Pathophysiology and Clinical Relevance of Microvascular Remodeling in Arterial Hypertension.High blood pressure & cardiovascular prevention : the official journal of the Italian Society of Hypertension · 2026Review
- Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases: pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.Translational neurodegeneration · 2026Review
- Neuronal expression of retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma (RORγ) and revisiting its role in the central nervous system.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Unraveling the Diet-Learning Nexus: a cross-sectional deep dive into Iranian adolescents' nutrient patterns and learning difficulties.BMC nutrition · 2026Article
- Neuronal expression of Retinoid-Related Orphan Receptor Gamma (RORγ) and revisiting its role in the Central Nervous System.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Association of table salt use with sleep patterns and depressive symptoms: population-based analysis with external clinical replication.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Potential role of the spleen in the development of arterial hypertension in humans.Journal of hypertension · 2026Article
- Dietary sodium, table salt use, and specific depressive symptoms: cross-sectional associations in NHANES and an independent Chinese clinical cohort.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Older adults in more disadvantaged neighborhoods exhibit brain vascular dysfunction.Cerebral circulation - cognition and behavior · 2026Article
162 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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15 authors.
Funding
Abstract
A diet rich in salt is linked to an increased risk of cerebrovascular diseases and dementia, but it remains unclear how dietary salt harms the brain. We report that, in mice, excess dietary salt suppresses resting cerebral blood flow and endothelial function, leading to cognitive impairment. The effect depends on expansion of TH17 cells in the small intestine, resulting in a marked increase in plasma interleukin-17 (IL-17). Circulating IL-17, in turn, promotes endothelial dysfunction and cognitive impairment by the Rho kinase-dependent inhibitory phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and reduced nitric oxide production in cerebral endothelial cells. The findings reveal a new gut-brain axis linking dietary habits to cognitive impairment through a gut-initiated adaptive immune response compromising brain function via circulating IL-17. Thus, the TH17 cell-IL-17 pathway is a putative target to counter the deleterious brain effects induced by dietary salt and other diseases associated with TH17 polarization.
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