Surgery impairs glymphatic activity and cognitive function in aged mice
Abstract Delirium is a common complication in elderly surgical patients and is associated with an increased risk of dementia. Although advanced age is a major risk factor, the mechanisms underlying postoperative delirium remain poorly understood. The glymphatic system, a brain-wide network of periva...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Molecular Brain |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13041-025-01177-y |
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| author | Kai Chen Xingyu Du Melissa A. Chao Zhongcong Xie Guang Yang |
| author_facet | Kai Chen Xingyu Du Melissa A. Chao Zhongcong Xie Guang Yang |
| author_sort | Kai Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Delirium is a common complication in elderly surgical patients and is associated with an increased risk of dementia. Although advanced age is a major risk factor, the mechanisms underlying postoperative delirium remain poorly understood. The glymphatic system, a brain-wide network of perivascular pathways, facilitates cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow and supports the clearance of metabolic waste. Impairments in glymphatic function have been observed in aging brains and various neurodegenerative conditions. Using in vivo two-photon imaging, we examined the effects of surgery (laparotomy) on glymphatic function in adult (6 months) and aged (18 months) mice 24 h post-surgery. In adult mice, CSF tracer entry into the brain parenchyma along periarteriolar spaces occurred rapidly following intracisternal tracer injection, with no significant differences between sham and surgery groups. In contrast, aged mice exhibited delayed tracer influx, with further impairments observed in the surgery group compared to sham controls. This glymphatic dysfunction correlated with poorer T-maze performance in aged mice. These findings suggest that surgery exacerbates glymphatic impairment in aging brains, potentially hindering brain waste clearance and contributing to postoperative delirium. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-323fee9cdc454414886cbaafe1474bf9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1756-6606 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecular Brain |
| spelling | doaj-art-323fee9cdc454414886cbaafe1474bf92025-01-26T12:58:08ZengBMCMolecular Brain1756-66062025-01-011811410.1186/s13041-025-01177-ySurgery impairs glymphatic activity and cognitive function in aged miceKai Chen0Xingyu Du1Melissa A. Chao2Zhongcong Xie3Guang Yang4Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical CenterDepartment of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical CenterDepartment of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical CenterGeriatric Anesthesia Research Unit, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolDepartment of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical CenterAbstract Delirium is a common complication in elderly surgical patients and is associated with an increased risk of dementia. Although advanced age is a major risk factor, the mechanisms underlying postoperative delirium remain poorly understood. The glymphatic system, a brain-wide network of perivascular pathways, facilitates cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow and supports the clearance of metabolic waste. Impairments in glymphatic function have been observed in aging brains and various neurodegenerative conditions. Using in vivo two-photon imaging, we examined the effects of surgery (laparotomy) on glymphatic function in adult (6 months) and aged (18 months) mice 24 h post-surgery. In adult mice, CSF tracer entry into the brain parenchyma along periarteriolar spaces occurred rapidly following intracisternal tracer injection, with no significant differences between sham and surgery groups. In contrast, aged mice exhibited delayed tracer influx, with further impairments observed in the surgery group compared to sham controls. This glymphatic dysfunction correlated with poorer T-maze performance in aged mice. These findings suggest that surgery exacerbates glymphatic impairment in aging brains, potentially hindering brain waste clearance and contributing to postoperative delirium.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13041-025-01177-yPostoperative deliriumGlymphatic systemIn vivo two-photon imagingSurgery |
| spellingShingle | Kai Chen Xingyu Du Melissa A. Chao Zhongcong Xie Guang Yang Surgery impairs glymphatic activity and cognitive function in aged mice Molecular Brain Postoperative delirium Glymphatic system In vivo two-photon imaging Surgery |
| title | Surgery impairs glymphatic activity and cognitive function in aged mice |
| title_full | Surgery impairs glymphatic activity and cognitive function in aged mice |
| title_fullStr | Surgery impairs glymphatic activity and cognitive function in aged mice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Surgery impairs glymphatic activity and cognitive function in aged mice |
| title_short | Surgery impairs glymphatic activity and cognitive function in aged mice |
| title_sort | surgery impairs glymphatic activity and cognitive function in aged mice |
| topic | Postoperative delirium Glymphatic system In vivo two-photon imaging Surgery |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13041-025-01177-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kaichen surgeryimpairsglymphaticactivityandcognitivefunctioninagedmice AT xingyudu surgeryimpairsglymphaticactivityandcognitivefunctioninagedmice AT melissaachao surgeryimpairsglymphaticactivityandcognitivefunctioninagedmice AT zhongcongxie surgeryimpairsglymphaticactivityandcognitivefunctioninagedmice AT guangyang surgeryimpairsglymphaticactivityandcognitivefunctioninagedmice |