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Elevated microglial oxidative phosphorylation and phagocytosis stimulate post-stroke brain remodeling and cognitive function recovery in mice
Song S, Yu L, Hasan MN, Paruchuri SS, Mullett SJ, Sullivan MLG, Fiesler VM, Young CB et al.. Communications biology, 2022-01-11
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
New research shows that disease-associated microglia in neurodegenerative brains present features of elevated phagocytosis, lysosomal functions, and lipid metabolism, which benefit brain repair. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Intracellular pH (pH i ) is important for regulating aerobic glycolysis in microglia, where Na/H exchanger (NHE1) is a key pH regulator by extruding H + in exchange of Na + influx.
Key findings
- The underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.
- Intracellular pH (pH i ) is important for regulating aerobic glycolysis in microglia, where Na/H exchanger (NHE1) is a key pH regulator by extruding H + in exchange of Na + influx.
- We report here that post-stroke Cx3cr1-Cre ER+/- ;Nhe1 flox/flox (Nhe1 cKO) brains displayed stimulation of microglial transcriptomes of rate-limiting enzyme genes for glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.
- The other upregulated genes included genes for phagocytosis and LXR/RXR pathway activation as well as the disease-associated microglia hallmark genes (Apoe, Trem2, Spp1).
Why it matters
This mouse study reports that elevated microglial oxidative phosphorylation and phagocytosis stimulated post-stroke brain remodelling and cognitive recovery. It concerns stroke recovery in mice and does not report any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Communications biology) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Communications Biology: journal h-index 142 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “mice”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 84 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 14.0 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 54 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Dandan Sun: h-index 60 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Pittsburgh: institution h-index 1,470 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 35017668) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02984-4
- PubMed: 35017668
- Original source →
- Free full text: Communications Biology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Song, S., Yu, L., Hasan, M. N., Paruchuri, S. S., Mullett, S. J., Sullivan, M. L. G., et al. (2022). Elevated microglial oxidative phosphorylation and phagocytosis stimulate post-stroke brain remodeling and cognitive function recovery in mice. Communications biology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02984-4
Vancouver
Song S, Yu L, Hasan MN, Paruchuri SS, Mullett SJ, Sullivan MLG, et al. Elevated microglial oxidative phosphorylation and phagocytosis stimulate post-stroke brain remodeling and cognitive function recovery in mice. Communications biology. 2022. doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02984-4. PMID: 35017668.
BibTeX
@article{song2022-35017668,
author = {Song, S. and Yu, L. and Hasan, M. N. and Paruchuri, S. S. and Mullett, S. J. and Sullivan, M. L. G. and Fiesler, V. M. and Young, C. B. and others},
title = {{Elevated microglial oxidative phosphorylation and phagocytosis stimulate post-stroke brain remodeling and cognitive function recovery in mice}},
journal = {Communications biology},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1038/s42003-021-02984-4},
pmid = {35017668},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02984-4}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.