Targeting microglial NAAA-regulated PEA signaling counters inflammatory damage and symptom progression of post-stroke anxiety

Abstract Post-stroke anxiety (PSA) manifests as anxiety symptoms after stroke, with unclear mechanisms and limited treatment strategies. Endocannabinoids, reported to mitigate fear, anxiety, and stress, undergo dynamic alterations after stroke linked to prognosis intricately. However, endocannabinoi...

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Main Authors: Tianyue Yin, Shuaijie Sun, Li Peng, Mengmeng Yang, Mengyu Li, Xinlu Yang, Fengyun Yuan, Hongrui Zhu, Sheng Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-05-01
Series:Cell Communication and Signaling
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-025-02202-2
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author Tianyue Yin
Shuaijie Sun
Li Peng
Mengmeng Yang
Mengyu Li
Xinlu Yang
Fengyun Yuan
Hongrui Zhu
Sheng Wang
author_facet Tianyue Yin
Shuaijie Sun
Li Peng
Mengmeng Yang
Mengyu Li
Xinlu Yang
Fengyun Yuan
Hongrui Zhu
Sheng Wang
author_sort Tianyue Yin
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Post-stroke anxiety (PSA) manifests as anxiety symptoms after stroke, with unclear mechanisms and limited treatment strategies. Endocannabinoids, reported to mitigate fear, anxiety, and stress, undergo dynamic alterations after stroke linked to prognosis intricately. However, endocannabinoid metabolism in ischemic microenvironment and their associations with post-stroke anxiety-like behavior remain largely uncovered. Our findings indicated that endocannabinoid metabolism was dysregulated after stroke, characterized by elevated N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) hydrolase N-acylethanolamine-acid amidase (NAAA) in activated microglia from ischemic area, accompanied by rapid PEA exhaustion. Microglial PEA metabolite exhaustion is directly associated with more severe pathological damage, anxiety symptoms and pain sensitivity. Naaa knockout or pharmacological supplementation to boost PEA pool content can effectively promote stroke recovery and alleviate anxiety-like behaviors. In addition, maintaining PEA pool content in ischemic area reduces overactivated microglia by confronting against mitochondria dysfunction and inflammasome cascade triggered IL-18 release and diffusion to contralateral hemisphere. Meanwhile, maintenance of microglial PEA pool content in ischemic-damaged lesion can preserve contralateral vCA1 synaptic integrity, enhancing anxiolytic pBLA-vCA1Calb1+ circuit activity by alleviating microglial phagocytosis-mediated synaptic loss. Thus, we conclude that microglial NAAA-regulated lipid signaling in the ischemic focus remodels contralateral anxiolytic circuit to participate in post-stroke anxiety progression. Blocking PEA signaling breakdown promotes stroke recovery and mitigates anxiety-like symptoms. Graphical Abstract Microglial NAAA-regulated lipid signaling involves with post-stroke anxiety.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1478-811X
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher BMC
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series Cell Communication and Signaling
spelling doaj-art-c5d42ffd561448e9813f9401964d6aaa2025-08-20T03:52:24ZengBMCCell Communication and Signaling1478-811X2025-05-0123112710.1186/s12964-025-02202-2Targeting microglial NAAA-regulated PEA signaling counters inflammatory damage and symptom progression of post-stroke anxietyTianyue Yin0Shuaijie Sun1Li Peng2Mengmeng Yang3Mengyu Li4Xinlu Yang5Fengyun Yuan6Hongrui Zhu7Sheng Wang8Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of ChinaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Wannan Medical CollegeDepartment of Anesthesiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of ChinaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Wannan Medical CollegeDepartment of Anesthesiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of ChinaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of ChinaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of ChinaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of ChinaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of ChinaAbstract Post-stroke anxiety (PSA) manifests as anxiety symptoms after stroke, with unclear mechanisms and limited treatment strategies. Endocannabinoids, reported to mitigate fear, anxiety, and stress, undergo dynamic alterations after stroke linked to prognosis intricately. However, endocannabinoid metabolism in ischemic microenvironment and their associations with post-stroke anxiety-like behavior remain largely uncovered. Our findings indicated that endocannabinoid metabolism was dysregulated after stroke, characterized by elevated N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) hydrolase N-acylethanolamine-acid amidase (NAAA) in activated microglia from ischemic area, accompanied by rapid PEA exhaustion. Microglial PEA metabolite exhaustion is directly associated with more severe pathological damage, anxiety symptoms and pain sensitivity. Naaa knockout or pharmacological supplementation to boost PEA pool content can effectively promote stroke recovery and alleviate anxiety-like behaviors. In addition, maintaining PEA pool content in ischemic area reduces overactivated microglia by confronting against mitochondria dysfunction and inflammasome cascade triggered IL-18 release and diffusion to contralateral hemisphere. Meanwhile, maintenance of microglial PEA pool content in ischemic-damaged lesion can preserve contralateral vCA1 synaptic integrity, enhancing anxiolytic pBLA-vCA1Calb1+ circuit activity by alleviating microglial phagocytosis-mediated synaptic loss. Thus, we conclude that microglial NAAA-regulated lipid signaling in the ischemic focus remodels contralateral anxiolytic circuit to participate in post-stroke anxiety progression. Blocking PEA signaling breakdown promotes stroke recovery and mitigates anxiety-like symptoms. Graphical Abstract Microglial NAAA-regulated lipid signaling involves with post-stroke anxiety.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-025-02202-2MicrogliaStrokePost-stroke anxietyN-palmitoylethanolamideN-acylethanolamine acid amidase
spellingShingle Tianyue Yin
Shuaijie Sun
Li Peng
Mengmeng Yang
Mengyu Li
Xinlu Yang
Fengyun Yuan
Hongrui Zhu
Sheng Wang
Targeting microglial NAAA-regulated PEA signaling counters inflammatory damage and symptom progression of post-stroke anxiety
Cell Communication and Signaling
Microglia
Stroke
Post-stroke anxiety
N-palmitoylethanolamide
N-acylethanolamine acid amidase
title Targeting microglial NAAA-regulated PEA signaling counters inflammatory damage and symptom progression of post-stroke anxiety
title_full Targeting microglial NAAA-regulated PEA signaling counters inflammatory damage and symptom progression of post-stroke anxiety
title_fullStr Targeting microglial NAAA-regulated PEA signaling counters inflammatory damage and symptom progression of post-stroke anxiety
title_full_unstemmed Targeting microglial NAAA-regulated PEA signaling counters inflammatory damage and symptom progression of post-stroke anxiety
title_short Targeting microglial NAAA-regulated PEA signaling counters inflammatory damage and symptom progression of post-stroke anxiety
title_sort targeting microglial naaa regulated pea signaling counters inflammatory damage and symptom progression of post stroke anxiety
topic Microglia
Stroke
Post-stroke anxiety
N-palmitoylethanolamide
N-acylethanolamine acid amidase
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-025-02202-2
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