Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41543825›Full record

ArticleGeroScience2026

Lipid-laden endothelial cells exhibit a transcriptomic signature linked to blood-brain barrier dysfunction, metabolic reprogramming, and increased inflammation in the aging brain.

Sarah Otu-Boakye, Duraipandy Natarajan, Bhuvana Plakkot, Ilakiya Raghavendiran, Paulina Hoppa, Tamas Kiss, Madhan Subramanian, Priya Balasubramanian

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in GeroScience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. [Research progress on the metabolic regulatory mechanisms of coronary collateral circulation].Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026
    Review
  6. Cortical OProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Sarah Otu-BoakyeVascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Blvd, BMSB 842, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
Duraipandy NatarajanVascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Blvd, BMSB 842, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
Bhuvana PlakkotDepartment of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
Ilakiya RaghavendiranVascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Blvd, BMSB 842, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
Paulina HoppaDepartment of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
Tamas KissCerebrovascular and Neurocognitive Diseases Research Group, HUN-REN, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
Madhan SubramanianDepartment of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
Priya BalasubramanianVascular Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegeneration and Healthy Brain Aging Program, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Blvd, BMSB 842, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA. priya-balasubramanian@ou.edu.ORCID 0000-0003-0912-5363

Funding

Brainstem glial senescence and dysfunction in obesity-induced hypertensionR01HL163775 · NHLBI · OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY STILLWATER · PI Madhan Subramanian · 2024 to 2026
$1.2M
Targeting adipose tissue thermogenesis for age-related vascular cognitive impairmentK01AG073613 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA HLTH SCIENCES CTR · PI BALASUBRAMANIAN, PRIYA · 2021 to 2025
$596k
Microvascular endothelial lipid metabolism as a target for age-related vascular cognitive impairmentR03AG095868 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA HLTH SCIENCES CTR · PI BALASUBRAMANIAN, PRIYA · 2025 to 2025
$286k
American Heart Association CDA1048544NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL163775NHLBI NIH HHS R01HL163775NIA NIH HHS K01 AG073613NIA NIH HHS K01AG073613NIA NIH HHS R03 AG095868NIA NIH HHS R03AG095868
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Dysregulation in lipid metabolism is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to age-related diseases, including neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular dysfunction. While prior studies have largely focused on glial cells, the impact of lipid dysregulation on brain endothelial aging remains poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a secondary analysis of single-cell transcriptomic data from young and aged mouse brains, with a specific focus on endothelial cells (ECs). Our analyses revealed that aging promotes lipid droplet accumulation in brain ECs. These lipid-laden brain ECs exhibit a transcriptomic signature indicative of impaired blood-brain barrier function, increased cellular senescence, and inflammation in aging. Furthermore, lipid accumulation is associated with an altered metabolic phenotype characterized by increased fatty acid oxidation and decreased glycolysis and impaired mitochondrial electron transport chain activity in the ECs of the aging brain. We have also validated lipid accumulation in aged ECs in vivo. Collectively, our findings indicate that lipid accumulation may drive structural, functional, and metabolic impairments in the brain ECs, likely contributing to cerebrovascular aging. Understanding the mechanisms underlying lipid accumulation-induced endothelial dysfunction may offer novel therapeutic strategies for mitigating microvascular dysfunction and cognitive decline in aging.

Indexed as

AgingBlood-Brain BarrierBrainEndothelial CellsLipid MetabolismTranscriptomeAnimalsCellular SenescenceInflammationMaleMetabolic ReprogrammingMiceMice, Inbred C57BLAging brainBlood–brain barrier dysfunctionFatty acid oxidationLipid-laden endothelial cellsNeuroinflammationSenescence

Identifiers

PMID41543825
PMCPMC12972456

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.