The neuro-vascular interactions in the brain - Chenghua Gu

Abstract

The relationship between the brain and its vasculature is different than that of other organs. The brain vasculature has two distinct features that cater to the brain’s unique functions. First, neurons in the brain are extremely sensitive to their extracellular chemical environment and each neuron is at most 15 microns away from a capillary. Brain endothelial cells forming the blood vessel walls constitute a blood-brain barrier (BBB) to provide a safe and homeostatic environment for the brain. Second, despite representing only 2% of the body weight, our brain consumes 20% of body’s energy at rest and has very limited ability to store energy. So, to meet moment-to-moment changes in regional brain energy demand, neural activity rapidly increases local blood flow, a process called neurovascular coupling. I will present our recent progress on the molecular mechanistic understanding of how the brain vasculature executes these functions, and how unique vascular demands of the brain have led to molecular, cellular, and trans-cellular specializations unlike those found in other tissues