scholarly journals Astrocytes are necessary for blood-brain barrier maintenance in the adult mouse brain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin P. Heithoff ◽  
Kijana K. George ◽  
Aubrey N. Phares ◽  
Ivan A. Zuidhoek ◽  
Carmen Munoz-Ballester ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Glucose Transporter ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Glucose Transporter 1 ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
Junction Protein ◽  
The Brain

AbstractIn the adult brain, multiple cell types are known to produce factors that regulate blood-brain barrier properties, including astrocytes. Yet several recent studies disputed a role for mature astrocytes at the blood-brain barrier. To determine if astrocytes contribute a non-redundant and necessary function in maintaining the adult blood-brain barrier, we used a mouse model of tamoxifen-inducible astrocyte ablation. In adult mice, tamoxifen induction caused sparse apoptotic astrocyte cell death within 2 hours. Indicative of BBB damage, leakage of the small molecule Cadaverine and the large plasma protein fibrinogen into the brain parenchyma indicative of BBB damage was detected as early as astrocyte ablation was present. Vessels within and close to regions of astrocyte loss had lower expression of the tight junction protein zonula occludens-1 while endothelial glucose transporter 1 expression was undisturbed. Cadaverine leakage persisted for several weeks suggesting a lack of barrier repair. This is consistent with the finding that ablated astrocytes were not replaced. Adjacent astrocytes responded with partial non-proliferative astrogliosis, characterized by morphological changes and delayed phosphorylation of STAT3, which restricted dye leakage to the brain and vessel surface areas lacking coverage by astrocytes one month after ablation. In conclusion, astrocytes are necessary to maintain blood-brain barrier integrity in the adult brain. Blood-brain barrier-regulating factors secreted by other cell types, such as pericytes, are not sufficient to compensate for astrocyte loss.Main PointsMature astrocytes are necessary for maintenance of endothelial tight junctions in the adult brain. Ablated astrocytes are not replaced by proliferation or process extension of neighboring astrocytes resulting in long-term blood-brain barrier damage.

scholarly journals A vér–agy gát működése, öregedése és diszfunkciója. Átjutás a barrieren

2016 ◽  
Vol 157 (51) ◽  
pp. 2019-2027
Author(s):  
Franciska Erdő ◽  
Barbara Hutka ◽  
László Dénes
Keyword(s):  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Molecular Systems ◽  
Dna Mutation ◽  
System Protection ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
Different Cell Types ◽  
The Brain

Abstract: The blood–brain barrier is an interface between the circulation and brain. It is responsible for the homeostasis of central nervous system, protection and feeding of the brain and for providing the conditions for fine regulation of neurons. The coordinated function of different cell types and the regulated expression of molecular systems make possible the functionality of blood–brain barrier. However, this complex system can be broken due to different insults with a consequence of appearance of elevated levels of unwanted exogenous and endogenous molecules in the brain involved in the pathomechanisms of several disorders. The most important risk factor for the damage of blood–brain barrier is the aging itself, which causes disruption of the barrier through DNA mutation, oxidative stress and release of inflammatory mediators. Although the physiological aging is accompanied by morphological changes, the dysfunction of membrane transporters could also lead to neurodegenerative disorders. Structure, function and breakdown of the blood–brain barrier and the possibilities to cross it, are presented. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(51), 2019–2027.

scholarly journals Structural, Molecular, and Functional Alterations of the Blood-Brain Barrier during Epileptogenesis and Epilepsy: A Cause, Consequence, or Both?

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Löscher ◽  
Alon Friedman
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Extracellular Fluid ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
The Brain

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic, highly selective barrier primarily formed by endothelial cells connected by tight junctions that separate the circulating blood from the brain extracellular fluid. The endothelial cells lining the brain microvessels are under the inductive influence of neighboring cell types, including astrocytes and pericytes. In addition to the anatomical characteristics of the BBB, various specific transport systems, enzymes and receptors regulate molecular and cellular traffic across the BBB. While the intact BBB prevents many macromolecules and immune cells from entering the brain, following epileptogenic brain insults the BBB changes its properties. Among BBB alterations, albumin extravasation and diapedesis of leucocytes from blood into brain parenchyma occur, inducing or contributing to epileptogenesis. Furthermore, seizures themselves may modulate BBB functions, permitting albumin extravasation, leading to activation of astrocytes and the innate immune system, and eventually modifications of neuronal networks. BBB alterations following seizures are not necessarily associated with enhanced drug penetration into the brain. Increased expression of multidrug efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein likely act as a ‘second line defense’ mechanism to protect the brain from toxins. A better understanding of the complex alterations in BBB structure and function following seizures and in epilepsy may lead to novel therapeutic interventions allowing the prevention and treatment of epilepsy as well as other detrimental neuro-psychiatric sequelae of brain injury.

scholarly journals Blood-brain barrier–penetrating siRNA nanomedicine for Alzheimer’s disease therapy

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (41) ◽  
pp. eabc7031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yutong Zhou ◽  
Feiyan Zhu ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Meng Zheng ◽  
Yibin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Glucose Transporter ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Glucose Transporter 1 ◽  
Blood Brain

Toxic aggregated amyloid-β accumulation is a key pathogenic event in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which derives from amyloid precursor protein (APP) through sequential cleavage by BACE1 (β-site APP cleavage enzyme 1) and γ-secretase. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) show great promise for AD therapy by specific silencing of BACE1. However, lack of effective siRNA brain delivery approaches limits this strategy. Here, we developed a glycosylated “triple-interaction” stabilized polymeric siRNA nanomedicine (Gal-NP@siRNA) to target BACE1 in APP/PS1 transgenic AD mouse model. Gal-NP@siRNA exhibits superior blood stability and can efficiently penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) via glycemia-controlled glucose transporter-1 (Glut1)–mediated transport, thereby ensuring that siRNAs decrease BACE1 expression and modify relative pathways. Noticeably, Gal-NP@siBACE1 administration restored the deterioration of cognitive capacity in AD mice without notable side effects. This “Trojan horse” strategy supports the utility of RNA interference therapy in neurodegenerative diseases.

Changes in the glucose transporter of brain capillaries

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (S1) ◽  
pp. S113-S117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami I. Harik
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer Disease ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Glucose Transporter ◽  
Glucose Transporters ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Capillary Endothelium ◽  
Brain Capillaries ◽  
Glut 1 ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
The Brain

Brain capillary endothelium has a high density of the GLUT-1 facilitative glucose transporter protein. This is reasonable in view of the brain's high metabolic rate for glucose and its isolation behind unique capillaries with blood – brain barrier properties. Thus, the brain endothelium, which constitutes less than 0.1% of the brain weight, has to transport glucose for the much larger mass of surrounding neurons and glia. I describe here the changes that occur in the density of glucose transporters in brain capillaries of subjects with Alzheimer disease, where there is a decreased cerebral metabolic rate for glucose, and in a novel clinical entity characterized by defective glucose transport at the blood – brain barrier. In subjects with Alzheimer disease, cerebral microvessels showed a marked decrease in the density of the glucose transporter when compared with age-matched controls, but there was no change in the density of glucose transporters in erythrocyte membranes. Thus, I believe that the decreased density of glucose transporters in the brains of subjects with Alzheimer disease is the result rather than the cause of the disease. In contradistinction, the primary defect in glucose transport at the blood – brain barrier in subjects with the recently described entity is associated with decreased density of GLUT-1 in erythrocyte membranes.Key words: brain microvessels, capillary endothelium, blood – brain barrier, glucose transporter, Alzheimer disease, hypoglycorrhachia.

scholarly journals Contribution of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase to Postischemic Blood—Brain Barrier Damage in Rats

2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 1318-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gábor Lenzsér ◽  
Béla Kis ◽  
James A Snipes ◽  
Tamás Gáspár ◽  
Péter Sándor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Parp Inhibition ◽  
Edema Formation ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
Junction Protein ◽  
The Brain

The nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is activated by oxidative stress and plays a significant role in postischemic brain injury. We assessed the contribution of PARP activation to the blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption and edema formation after ischemia–reperfusion. In male Wistar rats, global cerebral ischemia was achieved by occluding the carotid arteries and lowering arterial blood pressure for 20 mins. The animals were treated with saline or with the PARP inhibitor N-(6-oxo-5,6-dihydrophenanthridin-2-yl)- N, N-dimethylacetamide.HCl (PJ34); (10 mg/kg, i.v.) before ischemia. After 40 mins, 24, and 48 h of reperfusion, the permeability of the cortical BBB was determined after Evans Blue (EB) and Na-fluorescein (NaF) administration. The water content of the brain was also measured. The permeability of the BBB for EB increased after ischemia–reperfusion compared with the nonischemic animals after 24 and 48 h reperfusion but PARP inhibition attenuated this increase at 48 h (nonischemic: 170 ± 9, saline: 760 ± 95, PJ34: 472 ± 61 ng/mg tissue). The extravasation of NaF showed similar changes and PJ34 post-treatment attenuated the permeability increase even at 24 h. PARP inhibition decreased the brain edema seen at 48 h. Because PARP has proinflammatory properties, the neutrophil infiltration of the cortex was determined, which showed lower values after PJ34 treatment. Furthermore, PJ34 treatment decreased the loss of the tight junction protein occludin at 24 and 48 h. The inhibition of PARP activity accompanied by reduced post-ischemic BBB disturbance and decreased edema formation suggests a significant role of this enzyme in the development of cerebral vascular malfunction.

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