美国杜克大学Eric J. Benner等研究人员合作发现，脑室下区干细胞微环境损伤与早产儿肠穿孔有关，并可预测未来的运动障碍。相关论文于近日在线发表在《细胞—干细胞》杂志上。

研究人员通过头颅超声波确定了肠穿孔早产儿脑室下区回声（SVE）。SVE的出现与2岁时的运动障碍有明显关联。SVE在新生小鼠肠穿孔模型中得到了重复。对小鼠室管膜下区（SVZ）的回声检查发现，在多纤毛FoxJ1⁺上皮细胞中组装了NLRP3-炎性小体，并且在这个产后干细胞微环境中丧失了上皮细胞边界。这些数据表明，早产儿脑损伤的机制定位在SVZ，而这一点尚未得到充分考虑。超声检测SVE可作为早产儿炎症后神经发育受损的早期生物标志物。

据介绍，脑损伤与早产关系密切。早产并发症，包括自发性或坏死性小肠结肠炎（NEC）相关的肠穿孔，与终生神经功能损伤有关，但其机制却鲜为人知。早产儿脑损伤的早期诊断仍是一项重大挑战。

附：英文原文

Title: Subventricular zone stem cell niche injury is associated with intestinal perforation in preterm infants and predicts future motor impairment

Author: Adrian A. Epstein, Sara N. Janos, Luca Menozzi, Kelly Pegram, Vaibhav Jain, Logan C. Bisset, Joseph T. Davis, Samantha Morrison, Aswathy Shailaja, Yingqiu Guo, Agnes S. Chao, Khadar Abdi, Blaire Rikard, Junjie Yao, Simon G. Gregory, Kimberley Fisher, Rick Pittman, Al Erkanli, Kathryn E. Gustafson, Caroline W.T. Carrico, William F. Malcolm, Terrie E. Inder, C. Michael Cotten, Trevor D. Burt, Mari L. Shinohara, Charles M. Maxfield, Eric J. Benner

Issue&Volume:

Abstract: Brain injury is highly associated with preterm birth. Complications of prematurity,including spontaneous or necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)-associated intestinal perforations,are linked to lifelong neurologic impairment, yet the mechanisms are poorly understood.Early diagnosis of preterm brain injuries remains a significant challenge. Here, weidentified subventricular zone echogenicity (SVE) on cranial ultrasound in preterminfants following intestinal perforations. The development of SVE was significantlyassociated with motor impairment at 2 years. SVE was replicated in a neonatal mousemodel of intestinal perforation. Examination of the murine echogenic subventricularzone (SVZ) revealed NLRP3-inflammasome assembly in multiciliated FoxJ1+ ependymal cells and a loss of the ependymal border in this postnatal stem cell niche.These data suggest a mechanism of preterm brain injury localized to the SVZ that hasnot been adequately considered. Ultrasound detection of SVE may serve as an earlybiomarker for neurodevelopmental impairment after inflammatory disease in preterminfants.

DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.03.001

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/abstract/S1934-5909(24)00082-1