The Hidden Culprit: Old Red Blood Cells and Capillary Brain Hemorrhage

Investigating the Causes of Capillary Brain Hemorrhage

By Gordon Jeong, Science Columnist, News Directory 3

Brain hemorrhage is a severe condition that can occur without warning, posing a life-threatening risk. While trauma, high blood pressure, cerebral aneurysms, and cerebrovascular malformations are known to be common causes, there are cases where the exact cause remains unknown.

A research team at the University of California, Irvine, USA has made strides in uncovering the root of capillary brain hemorrhage. Their findings suggest that old red blood cells may be to blame. As these cells age, their function declines, increasing the likelihood of blockage in narrow blood vessels.

Interestingly, the human body possesses its own mechanism for addressing this issue. Vascular cells are able to process old red blood cells trapped in narrow capillaries through a process akin to removing a jammed paper in a copy machine. However, this regulatory function also diminishes with age, leading to an accumulation of old, dysfunctional red blood cells.

The research team conducted an experiment using drugs to simulate the effects of old red blood cells and injected them into mice. The results revealed that the inflammatory response caused by inflammatory microglia leads to blood vessel damage, ultimately resulting in the disposal of the trapped red blood cells. This buildup of damage can lead to blood vessel rupture and subsequent bleeding, ultimately causing harm to cerebral blood vessels and brain tissue.

Capillary hemorrhage of this nature can result in an increased risk of other brain diseases such as stroke or Alzheimer’s disease. While this study sheds light on a new mechanism of cerebrovascular damage, further research is needed to develop effective prevention and treatment methods for cerebrovascular diseases.

This groundbreaking research underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to address cerebrovascular diseases, which pose a significant threat to countless lives each year.

Contact the author at jjy0501@naver.com.

▲ Data photo (123rf) Brain hemorrhage is a serious brain disease that can strike anyone without warning, and can sometimes lead to life-threatening emergencies. Trauma, high blood pressure, cerebral aneurysm, and cerebrovascular malformation are known to be the main causes of cerebral hemorrhage, and although they can be treated or managed and prevented, there are many cases of cerebral hemorrhage that are not is their exact cause known. Scientists are continuing research to find a more accurate cause.

A research team at the University of California, Irvine, USA investigated the causes of capillary brain hemorrhage. Old red blood cells were the culprit the research team suspected. Red blood cells are shaped like donuts with an indentation in the middle to carry oxygen effectively but are not trapped in narrow capillaries and are very flexible. However, as red blood cells age, their function declines and the likelihood of blockage in narrow blood vessels increases.

Fortunately, the human body has the ability to repair these problems on its own. Old red blood cells stuck in the narrow part of the capillaries are processed by vascular cells through the red blood cell phagocytic process, like removing jammed paper in a copy machine. However, this regulatory function also declines with age. And old, bad red blood cells can also increase in older people.

The research team used drugs to make red blood cells look like old red blood cells, then added a fluorescent tag to them and injected them into mice. As a result, it was observed that blood vessel damage accumulates due to the inflammatory response caused by inflammatory microglia, which eventually dispose of the trapped red blood cells. And when this damage builds up, blood vessels can easily burst and cause bleeding.

This type of capillary hemorrhage eventually causes damage not only to cerebral blood vessels but also to brain tissue, which appears to increase the risk of other brain diseases such as stroke or Alzheimer’s disease. This study is significant as it has revealed a new mechanism of cerebrovascular damage. However, developing prevention and treatment through this is still work for the future. Through ongoing research, effective prevention and treatment methods must be developed for cerebrovascular disease, which threatens the lives of countless people every year.

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