Astrocytic ET‐1 System Determines Microglia Phenotype Following Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract Microglia/macrophages accumulate at the lesion site by switching toward pro‐inflammatory (M1)‐dominant phenotype at the acute phase following spinal cord injury (SCI). Such biased polarization shapes the functional outcomes by expanding tissue damage. In the present study, the astrocytic en...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bingqiang He, Si Xu, Mengdi Li, Hui Li, Shaolan Li, Li Niu, Honghua Song, Rixin Cai, Yue Zhou, Zhilong Cao, Yingjie Wang, Yongjun Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-08-01
Series:Advanced Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202507215
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849227296722911232
author Bingqiang He
Si Xu
Mengdi Li
Hui Li
Shaolan Li
Li Niu
Honghua Song
Rixin Cai
Yue Zhou
Zhilong Cao
Yingjie Wang
Yongjun Wang
author_facet Bingqiang He
Si Xu
Mengdi Li
Hui Li
Shaolan Li
Li Niu
Honghua Song
Rixin Cai
Yue Zhou
Zhilong Cao
Yingjie Wang
Yongjun Wang
author_sort Bingqiang He
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Microglia/macrophages accumulate at the lesion site by switching toward pro‐inflammatory (M1)‐dominant phenotype at the acute phase following spinal cord injury (SCI). Such biased polarization shapes the functional outcomes by expanding tissue damage. In the present study, the astrocytic endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) system is revealed to be immediately activated after SCI, driving microglia polarization toward M1, but suppressing toward M2 phenotype through activation of transcription coactivator YAP via ETA and ETB receptors. In addition, the activation of astrocytic ET‐1 system results in elevation of blood plasma ET‐1 level, suggesting a high diagnostic value. SCI‐induced thrombin is pinpointed as a crucial activator of the astrocytic ET‐1 system. The serine protease dramatically promotes the astrocytic expression of preproendothelin‐1 (ppET‐1) through protease‐activated receptor‐1 (PAR‐1)/RhoA/NF‐κB and PAR‐1/MAPKs/NF‐κB signal pathways. Meanwhile, it induces the expression of astrocytic endothelin‐converting enzyme 1 (ECE‐1) responsible for mature ET‐1 processing. Pharmacological inhibitors of PAR‐1 and ET‐1 are shown to be highly efficient in microglia M1 phenotype reversion and favorable for the recovery of rat locomotor function after SCI. The findings have revealed a novel mechanism of M1 microglia/macrophages swarming at lesion sites at the acute phase following SCI, and provide potential therapeutic approaches for neuroinflammation by targeting the astrocytic ET‐1 system.
format Article
id doaj-art-63fbfa5a61534468a6f09f904fc78fe2
institution Kabale University
issn 2198-3844
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Advanced Science
spelling doaj-art-63fbfa5a61534468a6f09f904fc78fe22025-08-23T14:12:08ZengWileyAdvanced Science2198-38442025-08-011231n/an/a10.1002/advs.202507215Astrocytic ET‐1 System Determines Microglia Phenotype Following Spinal Cord InjuryBingqiang He0Si Xu1Mengdi Li2Hui Li3Shaolan Li4Li Niu5Honghua Song6Rixin Cai7Yue Zhou8Zhilong Cao9Yingjie Wang10Yongjun Wang11Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration Nantong University 19 Qixiu Road Nantong 226001 P.R. ChinaAbstract Microglia/macrophages accumulate at the lesion site by switching toward pro‐inflammatory (M1)‐dominant phenotype at the acute phase following spinal cord injury (SCI). Such biased polarization shapes the functional outcomes by expanding tissue damage. In the present study, the astrocytic endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) system is revealed to be immediately activated after SCI, driving microglia polarization toward M1, but suppressing toward M2 phenotype through activation of transcription coactivator YAP via ETA and ETB receptors. In addition, the activation of astrocytic ET‐1 system results in elevation of blood plasma ET‐1 level, suggesting a high diagnostic value. SCI‐induced thrombin is pinpointed as a crucial activator of the astrocytic ET‐1 system. The serine protease dramatically promotes the astrocytic expression of preproendothelin‐1 (ppET‐1) through protease‐activated receptor‐1 (PAR‐1)/RhoA/NF‐κB and PAR‐1/MAPKs/NF‐κB signal pathways. Meanwhile, it induces the expression of astrocytic endothelin‐converting enzyme 1 (ECE‐1) responsible for mature ET‐1 processing. Pharmacological inhibitors of PAR‐1 and ET‐1 are shown to be highly efficient in microglia M1 phenotype reversion and favorable for the recovery of rat locomotor function after SCI. The findings have revealed a novel mechanism of M1 microglia/macrophages swarming at lesion sites at the acute phase following SCI, and provide potential therapeutic approaches for neuroinflammation by targeting the astrocytic ET‐1 system.https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202507215thrombinendothelin‐1astrocytesmicrogliaphenotype
spellingShingle Bingqiang He
Si Xu
Mengdi Li
Hui Li
Shaolan Li
Li Niu
Honghua Song
Rixin Cai
Yue Zhou
Zhilong Cao
Yingjie Wang
Yongjun Wang
Astrocytic ET‐1 System Determines Microglia Phenotype Following Spinal Cord Injury
Advanced Science
thrombin
endothelin‐1
astrocytes
microglia
phenotype
title Astrocytic ET‐1 System Determines Microglia Phenotype Following Spinal Cord Injury
title_full Astrocytic ET‐1 System Determines Microglia Phenotype Following Spinal Cord Injury
title_fullStr Astrocytic ET‐1 System Determines Microglia Phenotype Following Spinal Cord Injury
title_full_unstemmed Astrocytic ET‐1 System Determines Microglia Phenotype Following Spinal Cord Injury
title_short Astrocytic ET‐1 System Determines Microglia Phenotype Following Spinal Cord Injury
title_sort astrocytic et 1 system determines microglia phenotype following spinal cord injury
topic thrombin
endothelin‐1
astrocytes
microglia
phenotype
url https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202507215
work_keys_str_mv AT bingqianghe astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT sixu astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT mengdili astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT huili astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT shaolanli astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT liniu astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT honghuasong astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT rixincai astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT yuezhou astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT zhilongcao astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT yingjiewang astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury
AT yongjunwang astrocyticet1systemdeterminesmicrogliaphenotypefollowingspinalcordinjury