Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40661422›Full record

ArticlebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2025

Increased Synapse Elimination by Inflammatory Cells Contributes to Long-lasting Post-Stroke Memory Dysfunction in Old Mice.

Zahra Shabani, Peipei Pan, Qifeng Li, Zhanqiang Wang, Kun Leng, Shalika Sangras, Kang Huo, Alka Yadav, Calvin Wang, Joshua Shi and 5 more

Abstract readPreprint
In one paragraph

Article in bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

15 authors.

Zahra ShabaniCenter for Cerebrovascular Research, University of California, San Francisco.
Peipei PanCenter for Cerebrovascular Research, University of California, San Francisco.
Qifeng LiCenter for Cerebrovascular Research, University of California, San Francisco.
Zhanqiang WangCenter for Cerebrovascular Research, University of California, San Francisco.
Kun LengDepartment of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco.
Shalika SangrasCenter for Cerebrovascular Research, University of California, San Francisco.
Kang HuoCenter for Cerebrovascular Research, University of California, San Francisco.
Alka YadavCenter for Cerebrovascular Research, University of California, San Francisco.
Calvin WangCenter for Cerebrovascular Research, University of California, San Francisco.
Joshua ShiCenter for Cerebrovascular Research, University of California, San Francisco.
Gregory ChinnDepartment of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco.
Nikolas KyritsisDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco.
Adam R FergusonDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco.
Judith HellmanDepartment of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco.
Hua SuCenter for Cerebrovascular Research, University of California, San Francisco.ORCID 0000-0003-1566-9877

Funding

Uncover the Pathogenesis of Brain Arteriovenous MalformationR01NS027713 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI SU, HUA · 1990 to 2023
$8.6M
NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS027713
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Old patients are more likely to experience memory dysfunction than young patients after a stroke. It has been reported that brain astrocytes and microglia cause excessive removal of synapses at the acute and subacute stages of stroke, and inhibition of their phagocytosis improved neurobehavioral outcomes. We hypothesized that memory dysfunction in old subjects is associated with increased synapse removal by inflammatory cells. Ischemic stroke was induced in young (2-month-old) and old (15-18-month-old) mice. Memory functions were analyzed by the Y-maze test weekly for 8 weeks and the novel object recognition (NOR) test at 7 days before and 8 weeks post-stroke. We have also created a tibia fracture 6 hours before stroke injury in young mice, to test if the activation of α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchRs) reduces inflammatory cells and synapse elimination. Brains were collected 8 weeks after the induction of ischemic stroke. Transcriptome changes, neuronal injuries, neuroinflammation, synapse removal, and neurite outgrowth were analyzed. We found that old mice developed long-term memory dysfunction after ischemic stroke, which was not seen in young mice. Old mice showed larger infarct volume, higher neuroinflammation, and more synapses engulfed by microglia/macrophages and astrocytes in the peri-atrophic region and hippocampi than young mice. More synapse-engulfing astrocytes than microglia/macrophages were present in the peri-atrophic region and the ipsilateral hippocampi, suggesting that reactive astrocytes contributed more than activated microglia/macrophages in synapse removal. Activation of α7-nAchRs in mice subjected to tibia fracture 6 hours before ischemic injury reduced synapse removal by microglia/macrophages and astrocytes in the hippocampi. Our study indicated that an increase in synaptic elements by inflammatory cells contributes to the long-lasting memory deficit after stroke in old mice. Astrocytes may contribute more than microglia/macrophages in synapse removal. Inhibition of neuroinflammation by activating α7-nAchRs can reduce synapse loss and thus may improve post-stroke memory function.

Indexed as

AgingMemory dysfunctionNeuroinflammationStrokeSynapse elimination

Identifiers

PMID40661422
PMCPMC12259188

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.