Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40269196›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Chronic starvation induces microglial cell depletion in an activity-based anorexia model.

Valerie Verspohl, Miranda van Egmond, Lilly Kneisel, Friederike Reese, Anna C Thelen, Nele Korten, Maren Neumann, Lena Schaack, Clara Voelz, Larissa Käver and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Valerie VerspohlInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Miranda van EgmondInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Lilly KneiselInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Friederike ReeseInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Anna C ThelenInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Nele KortenInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Maren NeumannInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Lena SchaackInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Clara VoelzInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Larissa KäverInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Beate Herpertz-DahlmannDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Neuenhofer Weg 21, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Cordian BeyerInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Jochen SeitzDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Neuenhofer Weg 21, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Stefanie TrinhInstitute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany. ntrinh@ukaachen.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disease with a largely unknown pathophysiology. AN leads to reduced brain volume and a disbalance of the gut microbiome suggesting the involvement of the gut-brain-axis. Also, in the activity-based anorexia (ABA) animal model mimicking AN brain volume loss is observed. This study investigated the impact of chronic starvation on brain cell populations and evaluated the potential protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids (FA) and probiotics in rats. We used a chronic ABA model and provided daily oral supplementation of omega-3 FA and probiotics. Immunohistochemistry and qPCR were used to analyze GFAP-positive astrocytes, IBA1-positive microglia, OLIG1/2-positive oligodendrocytes, MAP2-positive neurons and Ki-67-positive proliferating cells in the cerebral cortex and corpus callosum. We found a significant reduction of astrocytes and microglia in all ABA groups, likely due to reduced proliferating cells. Reduced running wheel activity and reduced amount of food needed to sustain body weight were observed in animals with supplementation with omega-3 FA and probiotics but we did not observe alterations in brain cells that could be attributed to these supplementations. Our results indicate that glial cell depletion potentially underlies the diminished brain volume found in ABA rats. Omega-3 FA and probiotics show potential for reducing AN-related symptoms and merit further study as a therapeutic approach.

Indexed as

AnorexiaAnorexia NervosaMicrogliaStarvationAnimalsAstrocytesBrainCell ProliferationDisease Models, AnimalFatty Acids, Omega-3MaleProbioticsRatsFatty Acids, Omega-3

Identifiers

PMID40269196
PMCPMC12019532

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.