Oxygen imaging of hypoxic pockets in the mouse cerebral cortex. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38547288/)

These scientists wanted to understand how oxygen levels change in the brain of mice when they are awake and moving around. They created a special tool called Green enhanced Nano-lantern (GeNL) that can show them where there is not enough oxygen in the brain. They found that there are certain areas in the brain called "hypoxic pockets" where oxygen levels are low, and these areas are linked to blood flow problems.

The scientists also discovered that when the mice exercise, the number of these hypoxic pockets decreases by 52% compared to when they are resting. This means that moving around and being active can help improve oxygen levels in the brain.

By studying how oxygen levels change in the brain of awake mice, these scientists hope to learn more about how oxygen is important for the brain to work properly. This knowledge can help us understand how the brain functions in different situations and how oxygen levels may play a role in diseases that affect the brain.

Beinlich FRM., Asiminas A., Untiet V., Bojarowska Z., Pla V., Sigurdsson B., Timmel V., Gehrig L., Graber MH., Hirase H., Nedergaard M. Oxygen imaging of hypoxic pockets in the mouse cerebral cortex. Science. 2024 Mar 29;383(6690):1471-1478. doi: 10.1126/science.adn1011. Epub 2024 Mar 28.