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Hardwired differences: Sexually dimorphic neural connectomes in the brain-lung axis
Tao Wang1,2,3, Fancheng Meng1,2, Wenting Dong1,2
1Department of Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medicine, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, Shaanxi 710032, China.
Iscience
|May 29, 2026
Summary
Researchers discovered sex differences in brain-lung connections. Male mice show cognition-linked networks, while females have brainstem circuits for breathing, impacting respiratory disease susceptibility.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Respiratory Physiology
- Sex Differences Research
Background:
- Sexual dimorphism is known in lung function and disease.
- The central neural circuits governing these differences are largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex-based differences in brain-lung connectivity.
- To identify neural frameworks underlying sex-specific respiratory control.
Main Methods:
- Utilized retrograde trans-synaptic tracing with pseudorabies virus.
- Applied whole-brain mapping techniques in mice.
Main Results:
- Identified fundamental sex differences in brain-lung neural circuits.
- Male mice displayed anterior, cognition-associated networks with lateralization.
- Female mice exhibited posterior, brainstem-predominant circuits for automatic respiratory control, showing integrated and modular architectures.
Conclusions:
- Revealed a hardwired neural basis for sex-specific respiratory control.
- Findings have implications for understanding sex disparities in respiratory disease susceptibility.
Keywords:
biological sciences
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