Work

Brain-wide mapping of acute hypoxia-induced neuronal activation in mice: A c-Fos immunofluorescence study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Acute hypobaric hypoxic exposure, defined as rapid ascent to high altitude with brief sojourn, triggers profound physiological adaptations while increasing risks of acute mountain sickness (e.g., gastrointestinal distress, pulmonary/cerebral edema). Beyond these somatic manifestations, cognitive deficits frequently emerge under hypoxic stress, yet the neural substrates mediating these impairments remain poorly mapped. To systematically characterize hypoxia-induced brain activation patterns, we conducted whole-brain mapping of neuronal activity changes in mice exposed to acute hypobaric hypoxia versus normoxic controls using c-Fos immunofluorescence, a robust marker of neuronal activation. Our functional analysis focused on key brain regions governing: cardiorespiratory homeostasis, attention, memory, emotional processing, motivation and reward. Quantitative c-Fos mapping revealed increased neural activity in several brainstem nuclei and repressed neural activity in higher-order forebrain after exposure to 24 h-6000 m hypobaric hypoxia. These datas establish the first brain-wide map of hypoxia-responsive neural networks, providing mechanistic insights into physiological adaptation and cognitive vulnerability after acute hypobaric hypoxic exposure.

Source: IBRO Neuroscience Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.08.013