CO₂ signaling mediates neurovascular coupling in the cerebral cortex

Neurovascular coupling is a fundamental brain mechanism that regulates local cerebral blood flow (CBF) in response to changes in neuronal activity. Functional imaging techniques are commonly used to record these changes in CBF as a proxy of neuronal activity to study the human brain. However, the mechanisms of neurovascular coupling remain incompletely understood. Here we show in experimental animal models (laboratory rats and mice) that the neuronal activity-dependent increases in local CBF in the somatosensory cortex are prevented by saturation of the CO₂-sensitive vasodilatory brain mechanism with surplus of exogenous CO₂ or disruption of brain CO₂/HCO₃^- transport by genetic knockdown of electrogenic sodium-bicarbonate cotransporter 1 (NBCe1) expression in astrocytes. A systematic review of the literature data shows that CO₂ and increased neuronal activity recruit the same vasodilatory signaling pathways. These results and analysis suggest that CO₂ mediates signaling between neurons and the cerebral vasculature to regulate brain blood flow in accord with changes in the neuronal activity.