Examining the role of calcium signalling in endothelial cells and microvascular obstruction in the mouse brain
Date
2024
Authors
Oshanyk, Adam
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Abstract
Recently, research has revealed that obstructions in the microvascular network of the brain contribute to the pathology of various detrimental neurological disorders. Dysfunctional vascular mechanisms could account for the higher prevalence of these obstructions. However, an understanding of the specific mechanisms contributing to microvascular obstruction remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate how cerebral calcium signalling in endothelial cells contributes to microvascular obstructions, as calcium signalling is implicated in vascular mechanisms governing vasodilation and regulating vascular tone, factors potentially contributing to microvascular obstruction. Using transgenic mice, we selectively attenuated endothelial calcium signalling through conditional Cre-expression and assessed obstruction risk by intravenously injecting fluorescent microspheres. Our results reveal that attenuating cerebral endothelial calcium signalling has no significant effect on the density of stalled microspheres compared to controls. These findings suggest cerebral endothelial calcium signalling may operate redundantly or play a minor role in cerebral vascular obstructions. Our results underscore the complexity of vascular mechanisms in the brain and emphasise the need for future research in this area.