The effects of aerobic exercise training on oxidant–antioxidant balance, neurotrophic factor levels, and blood–brain barrier function in obese and non-obese men

Tight junctions between endothelial cells of brain capillaries are the most important structural elements of the blood-brain barrier. Cultured brain endothelial cells are known to loose tight junction-dependent blood-brain barrier characteristics such as macromolecular impermeability and high electrical resistance. We have directly analyzed the structure and function of tight junctions in primary cultures of bovine brain endothelial cells using quantitative freeze-fracture electron microscopy, and ion and inulin permeability. The complexity of tight junctions, defined as the number of branch points per unit length of tight junctional strands, decreased 5 hours after culture but thereafter remained almost constant. In contrast, the association of tight junction particles with the cytoplasmic leaflet of the endothelial membrane bilayer (P-face) decreased continuously with a major drop between 16 hours and 24 hours. The complexity of tight junctions could be increased by elevation of intracellular cAMP levels while phorbol esters had the opposite effect. On the other hand, the P-face association of tight junction particles was enhanced by elevation of cAMP levels and by coculture of endothelial cells with astrocytes or exposure to astrocyte-conditioned medium. The latter effect on P-face association was induced by astrocytes but not fibroblasts. Elevation of cAMP levels together with astrocyte-conditioned medium synergistically increased transendothelial electrical resistance and decreased inulin permeability of primary cultures, thus confirming the effects on tight junction structure and barrier function. P-face association of tight junction particles in brain endothelial cells may therefore be a critical feature of blood-brain barrier function that can be specifically modulated by astrocytes and cAMP levels. Our results suggest an important functional role for the cytoplasmic anchorage of tight junction particles for brain endothelial barrier function in particular and probably paracellular permeability in general.

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Abstract 32: Exercise Training Corrects Blood-brain Barrier Dysfunction Within Preautonomic Areas Of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats By Normalizing The Augmented Transcytosis

Hypertension ◽

10.1161/hyp.78.suppl_1.32 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 78 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Vanessa B Candido ◽

Alexandre Ceroni ◽

Alison Colquhoun ◽

Lisete C Michelini

Keyword(s):

Exercise Training ◽

Blood Brain Barrier ◽

Autonomic Control ◽

Brain Barrier ◽

Capillary Endothelium ◽

Pulse Interval ◽

Barrier Dysfunction ◽

Spontaneously Hypertensive ◽

Blood Brain ◽

Spontaneous Baroreflex

Introduction: Besides intense neuro-hormonal activation, hypertension is accompanied by blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction within preautonomic areas and marked autonomic imbalance. We showed previously that exercise training (T) corrected both increased BBB leakage and autonomic dysfunction. There is no information on the mechanism(s) conditioning the normalization of BBB function Hypothesis: We hypothesized that T could modify the transcytosis and/or the paracellular transport across the capillary endothelium Methods: SHR and Wistar rats allocated to T (55% maximal capacity) or sedentary (S) protocols were chronically cannulated for hemodynamic/autonomic recordings and determination of BBB permeability (fluorescent Rhodamine-70kDa+FITC-10kDa dyes given ia ). To analyze hypertension- and T-induced BBB changes, paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei (PVN) was harvested and processed for immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy Results: SHR-S vs Wistar-S exhibited augmented SAP and reduced pulse interval (PI) variability, decreased spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BrS), increased both PVN BBB leakage (11.4±0.6 vs 3.48 %area) and transcytosis (8.1±1.2 vs 4.8±0.8 vesicles/capillary) but no change in tight junctions’expression (TJ, number/capillary). SHR-T showed a near normal autonomic control, resting bradycardia and a partial AP reduction (-9%) accompanied by normalization of both BBB leakage (3.6±1.5 %area) and transcytosis (3.8±0.7 vesicles/capillary), and increased TJs’ extension (60% occupancy of capillary borders) without changing its expression. Hypertension- and T-induced transcytosis changes were confirmed by caveolin-1 immunofluorescence (SHR-S=139±11, Wistar-S=86±8, SHR-T=81±6 arbitrary units). There were significant correlations between the number of transcytotic vesicles x PVN BBB leakage (Y=1.77x -3.46, r 2 =0.722, P<0.001) and BBB leakage x SAP variability (Y=2.30x +16.6, r 2 =0.246, P<0.001) Conclusions: PVN BBB dysfunction in hypertension is due to increased transcytosis without changes in the paracellular pathway. Training ameliorates SHR’s autonomic control by normalizing transcytosis, with an additional TJs structure improvement

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