Brain macrophages in vascular health and dysfunction
In mammals, capillary-associated microglia can directly regulate vascular tone and cerebral blood flow through purinergic receptor signaling.
Border-associated macrophages contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension through the production of reactive oxygen species. Their absence mitigates the hypertension-induced decrease in blood flow and blood–brain barrier dysfunction.
The absence of central nervous system macrophages shifts the deposition of plaques from the parenchyma to the vasculature, stimulating cerebral amyloid angiopathy in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.
Microglia protect the brain from age related development of cerebral pathologies, including vascular calcifications and amyloid deposition.
https://www.cell.com/trends/immunology/fulltext/S1471-4906(24)00297-7
