The following study was conducted by Scientists from Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Advanced Imaging Center, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA. Study is published in Stem Cell Reports Journal – Cell Press Publishing as detailed below.
Stem Cell Reports Journal – Cell Press Publishing (2021)
3D Image Analysis of the Complete Ventricular-Subventricular Zone Stem Cell Niche Reveals Significant Vasculature Changes and Progenitor Deficits in Males Versus Females with Aging
Highlights
- Aging impacts the mouse V-SVZ significantly more in males than females
- Vessel tortuosity, narrowness, and density increase in aged males not females
- Progenitor cell division and neuroblast chain organization decline in aging males
- Numbers of type B stem cells decline significantly in aged males not females
Summary
With age, neural stem cell (NSC) function in the adult ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) declines, reducing memory and cognitive function in males; however, the impact on females is not well understood. To obtain a global view of how age and sex impact the mouse V-SVZ, we constructed 3D montages after multiplex immunostaining, and used computer-based 3D image analysis to quantify data across the entire niche at 2, 18, and 22 months. We discovered dramatic sex differences in the aging of the V-SVZ niche vasculature, which regulates NSC activity: females showed increased diameter but decreased vessel density with age, while males showed decreased diameter and increased tortuosity and vessel density. Accompanying these vascular changes, males showed significant decline in NSC numbers, progenitor cell proliferation, and more disorganized migrating neuroblast chains with age; however, females did not. By examining the entire 3D niche, we found significant sex differences, with females being relatively spared through very old age.
Source:
Stem Cell Reports Journal – Cell Press Publishing
URL: https://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/fulltext/S2213-6711(21)00142-9
Citation:
Zhao, X., Wang, Y., Wait, E., Mankowski, W., Bjornsson, C.S., Cohen, A.R., Zuloaga, K.L., Temple, S., 2021. 3D Image Analysis of the Complete Ventricular-Subventricular Zone Stem Cell Niche Reveals Significant Vasculature Changes and Progenitor Deficits in Males Versus Females with Aging. Stem Cell Reports 16(4), 836-850.
