Brain capillary pericytes are metabolic sentinels that control blood flow through a KATP channel-dependent energy switch

Despite the abundance of capillary thin-strand pericytes and their proximity to neurons and glia, little is known of the contributions of these cells to the control of brain hemodynamics. We demonstrate that the pharmacological activation of thin-strand pericyte KATP channels profoundly hyperpolarizes these cells, dilates upstream penetrating arterioles and arteriole-proximate capillaries, and increases capillary blood flow. Focal stimulation of pericytes with a KATP channel agonist is sufficient to evoke this response, mediated via KIR2.1 channel-dependent retrograde propagation of hyperpolarizing signals, whereas genetic inactivation of pericyte KATP channels eliminates these effects. Critically, we show that decreasing extracellular glucose to less than 1 mM or inhibiting glucose uptake by blocking GLUT1 transporters in vivo flips a mechanistic energy switch driving rapid KATP-mediated pericyte hyperpolarization to increase local blood flow. Together, our findings recast capillary pericytes as metabolic sentinels that respond to local energy deficits by increasing blood flow to neurons to prevent energetic shortfalls.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the important role of capillary thin-strand pericytes in regulating brain hemodynamics and responding to local energy deficits. Activation of KATP channels in pericytes leads to hyperpolarization and increased blood flow to prevent energetic shortfalls.