Fig. 7: Schematic diagram of the mechanism by which CRHPVN neurons activation attenuates ALI.
From: Paraventricular nucleus CRH neurons regulate acute lung injury via sympathetic nerve–neutrophil axis
ALI triggers significant activation of CRHPVN neurons. Further activation of CRHPVN neurons stimulates lung SNS and release NE, which limits ALI-induced neutrophils hyperactivities through β2-AR–β-arrestin2 signaling to suppress NF-κB pathway at least in part. The restrained neutrophils hyperactivities include reducing neutrophil infiltration, inhibiting the production of proinflammatory cytokines and ROS, suppressing the phagocytic function, and NETs formation. Thus, the activation of CRHPVN neurons-lung SNS axis attenuates the progress of ALI and improve mortality. ALI acute lung injury, CRH corticotropin-releasing hormone, SNS sympathetic nervous system, NE norepinephrine, β2-AR β2 adrenergic receptor, ROS reactive oxygen species, NETs neutrophil extracellular trap. Created in BioRender. Liu, T. (2025) https://BioRender.com/x91o967.
