Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40208947›Full record

ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2025

Inactivation of microglial LXRβ in early postnatal mice impairs microglia homeostasis and causes long-lasting cognitive dysfunction.

Keyi Lv, Yi Luo, Tianyao Liu, Meiling Xia, Hong Gong, Dandan Zhang, Xuan Chen, Xin Jiang, Yulong Liu, Jiayin Liu and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Keyi LvDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Yi LuoDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Tianyao LiuDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Meiling XiaDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Hong GongDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Dandan ZhangDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Xuan ChenSouthwest Eye Hospital, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Xin JiangDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Yulong LiuDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Jiayin LiuDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Yulong CaiDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.
Per AntonsonCenter for Innovative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 14186, Sweden.
Margaret WarnerCenter for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204.
Haiwei XuSouthwest Eye Hospital, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.ORCID 0000-0002-8840-7918
Jan-Åke GustafssonCenter for Innovative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 14186, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-1472-1373
Xiaotang FanDepartment of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.

Funding

MOST | National Key Research and Development Program of China (NKPs) 2021YFA1101203
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Microglia, the largest population of brain immune cells, play an essential role in regulating neuroinflammation by removing foreign materials and debris and in cognition by pruning synapses. Since liver X receptor β (LXRβ) has been identified as a regulator of microglial homeostasis, this study examined whether its removal from microglia affects neuroinflammation and cognitive function. We used a cell-specific tamoxifen-inducible Cre-loxP-mediated recombination to remove LXRβ from microglia specifically. We now report that ablation of LXRβ in microglia in early postnatal life led to a reduction in microglial numbers, distinct morphological changes indicative of microglial activation, and enhanced synapse engulfment accompanied by cognitive deficits. Removal of LXRβ from microglia in adult mice caused no cognitive defects. RNAseq analysis of microglia revealed that loss of LXRβ led to reduced expression of SAll1, a master regulator of microglial homeostasis, while increasing expression of genes associated with microglial activation and CNS disease. This study demonstrates distinctly different functions of microglial LXRβ in developing and adult mice and points to long-term consequences of defective LXRβ signaling in microglia in early life.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionHomeostasisLiver X ReceptorsMicrogliaAnimalsAnimals, NewbornMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutSynapsesLiver X Receptorscognitive functionLXRβmicrogliamicroglia homeostasissynapse engulfment

Identifiers

PMID40208947
PMCPMC12012545

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.