Experimental alcoholism primes structural and functional impairment of the glymphatic pathway

• Published in: Brain, behavior, and immunity behavior, and immunity, 2020-03, Vol.85, p.106-119
• Main Authors: Liu, Qiang, Yan, Lingli, Huang, Miaodan, Zeng, Haitao, Satyanarayanan, Senthil Kumaran, Shi, Zhe, Chen, Dingbang, Lu, Jia-Hong, Pei, Zhong, Yao, Xiaoli, Su, Huanxing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcoholism; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; AQP4 polarization; Aβ clearance; Brain; Cerebrospinal Fluid; CSF-ISF exchange; Extracellular Fluid; Glymphatic System; Humans; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL
• ISSN: 0889-1591; 1090-2139
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.06.029

•Acute alcohol treatment reduces the influx and efflux function of the glymphatic system.•The impairment of glymphatic function induced by acute alcohol treatment was reversible.•Chronic alcohol treatment led to an overall activation of astrocytes in the brain.•Chronic alcohol treatment increases widespread loss of perivascular AQP4 polarization.•Chronic alcohol consumption led to an irreversible impairment of the glymphatic function. Alcoholism is a risk factor for the development of cognitive decline and dementia. Here we demonstrated that the glymphatic function in the brain was impaired by alcohol administration. Acute moderate alcohol administration substantially retarded and reduced the entry of subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) via the paravascular space into the cerebral parenchyma, thus impaired CSF-interstitial fluid (ISF) exchange and parenchymal amyloid β (Aβ) peptide clearance. The elevated release of β-endorphin and reduced cerebrovascular pulsatility after acute alcohol administration may account for the impairment of the glymphatic function. Chronic moderate alcohol consumption led to pronounced activation of astrocytes and a widespread loss of perivascular AQP4 polarization in the brain, which results in an irreversible impairment of the glymphatic function. The results of the study suggest that impaired glymphatic functions and reduced parenchymal Aβ clearance found in both acute and chronic alcohol treatment may contribute to the development of cognitive decline and dementia in alcoholism.