White matter hyperintensities (WMH), characterized by myelin loss and axonal injury, are largely driven by hypertension, their most significant modifiable risk factor. The role of endothelial cell-derived exosomes (EC-Exos) in oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPCs)-mediated remyelination within WMH remains critical but poorly defined. This study investigated the function of EC-Exos in remyelination by comparing exosomes from angiotensin II-treated brain microvascular endothelial cells (AngII-Exos; modeling hypertensive conditions) with those from untreated cells (BMEC-Exos; modeling normotensive conditions). In vitro, BMEC-Exos promoted OPCs differentiation, evidenced by increased myelin basic protein (MBP) expression and reduced immature NG2+ OPCs. AngII-Exos lost this pro-differentiation capacity, instead suppressing OPCs proliferation and inducing immature OPCs accumulation. In vivo, the focal demyelination mouse model showed that BMEC-Exos injected into the lateral ventricle migrated to lesions, enhancing MBP intensity and reducing NG2+ areas, while AngII-Exos failed to promote remyelination. Lipidomic analysis revealed AngII-Exos exhibited altered fatty acid profiles, including reduced levels of essential myelin-related lipids (e.g., FFA 18:1, 22:0) and elevated FFA 22:6, impairing their ability to supply lipid precursors for OPCs maturation. These findings demonstrate that Ang II disrupts EC-Exos lipid composition, compromising their pro-remyelination effects on OPCs, which may represent a critical pathological mechanism underlying hypertension-associated white matter damage. This study provides new mechanistic insights into vascular contributions to myelin repair and pathology.
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Yiwen Yuan
Suzhen Liang
Ao Guan
Acta Neuropathologica Communications
Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University
Huashan Hospital
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Yuan et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
www.synapsesocial.com/papers/69df2bece4eeef8a2a6b0db3 — DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40478-026-02288-w