Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals Astrocytes as a Therapeutic Target in Heat-Stroke

Heat-stroke is a serious form of hyperthermia with high mortality, and can induce severe central nervous system disorders. The neurovascular unit (NVU), which consists of vascular cells, glial cells, and neurons, controls blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and cerebral blood flow, and maintains the proper functioning of neuronal circuits. However, the detailed function of each BBB component in heat-stroke remains unknown. In order to interpret alterations caused by heat stress, we performed transcriptome comparison of neuron and astrocyte primary cultures after heat treatment. Differentially-expressed genes were then selected and underwent Gene Ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. Gene-act networks were also constructed, and the expression of pivotal genes was validated by quantitative PCR, as well as single-cell qPCR in heat-stroke rats. Our work provides valuable information on the transcriptional changes in NVU cells after heat stress, reveals the diverse regulatory mechanisms of two of these cellular components, and shows that a cell-type-specific approach may be a promising therapeutic strategy for heat-stroke treatments.