scholarly journals Cryptococcal Yeast Cells Invade the Central Nervous System via Transcellular Penetration of the Blood-Brain Barrier

2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (9) ◽  
pp. 4985-4995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun C. Chang ◽  
Monique F. Stins ◽  
Michael J. McCaffery ◽  
Georgina F. Miller ◽  
Dan R. Pare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACT Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis develops as a result of hematogenous dissemination of inhaled Cryptococcus neoformans from the lung to the brain. The mechanism(s) by which C. neoformans crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a key unresolved issue in cryptococcosis. We used both an in vivo mouse model and an in vitro model of the human BBB to investigate the cryptococcal association with and traversal of the BBB. Exposure of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) to C. neoformans triggered the formation of microvillus-like membrane protrusions within 15 to 30 min. Yeast cells of C. neoformans adhered to and were internalized by the HBMEC, and they crossed the HBMEC monolayers via a transcellular pathway without affecting the monolayer integrity. The histopathology of mouse brains obtained after intravenous injection of C. neoformans showed that the yeast cells either were associated with endothelial cells or escaped from the brain capillary vessels into the neuropil by 3 h. C. neoformans was found in the brain parenchyma away from the vessels by 22 h. Association of C. neoformans with the choroid plexus, however, was not detected during up to 10 days of observation. Our findings indicate that C. neoformans cells invade the central nervous system by transcellular crossing of the endothelium of the BBB.

Understanding the Physiology of the Blood-Brain Barrier: In Vitro Models

Physiology ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 287-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald A. Grant ◽  
N. Joan Abbott ◽  
Damir Janigro
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Tissue Culture ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
Brain Tissue Culture ◽  
The Brain

Endothelial cells exposed to inductive central nervous system factors differentiate into a blood-brain barrier phenotype. The blood-brain barrier frequently obstructs the passage of chemotherapeutics into the brain. Tissue culture systems have been developed to reproduce key properties of the intact blood-brain barrier and to allow for testing of mechanisms of transendothelial drug permeation.

scholarly journals Tembusu Virus entering the central nervous system caused nonsuppurative encephalitis without disrupting the blood-brain barrier

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng Yang ◽  
Yufei Huang ◽  
Yonghong Shi ◽  
Xuebing Bai ◽  
Ping Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Neurological Symptoms ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Poultry Industry ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Tembusu Virus ◽  
The Brain

Tembusu Virus (TMUV) is an emerging and re-emerging zoonotic pathogen that adversely affects poultry industry in recent years. TMUV disease is characterized by nonsuppurative encephalitis in ducklings. The duckling infection model was established to study the mechanism of TMUV crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) into the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we showed that no obvious clinical symptoms and enhancement of BBB permeability occurred at the early stage of infection (3∼5 dpi). While simultaneously virus particles were observed by transmission electron microscopy in the brain, inducing the accumulation of inflammatory cytokines. Neurological symptoms and disruption of BBB appeared at the intermediate stage of infection (7∼9 dpi). It was confirmed that TMUV could survive and propagate in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), but did not affect the permeability of BBB in vivo and in vitro at an early date. In conclusion, TMUV enters the CNS then causes encephalitis, and finally destruct the BBB, which may be due to the direct effect of TMUV on BMECs and the subsequent response of “inflammatory storm”. IMPORTANCE The TMUV disease has caused huge losses to the poultry industry in Asia, which is potentially harmful to public health. Neurological symptoms and their sequelae are the main characters of this disease. However, the mechanism of how this virus enters the brain and causes encephalitis is unclear. In this study, we confirmed that the virus entered the CNS and then massively destroyed BBB and the BBB damage was closely associated with the subsequent outbreak of inflammation. TMUV may enter the CNS through the transcellular and “Trojan horse” pathways. These findings can fill the knowledge gap in the pathogenesis of TMUV-infected poultry and be benefit for the treatment of TMUV disease. What’s more, TMUV is a representative to study the infection of avian flavivirus. Therefore, our studies have significances both for understanding of the full scope of mechanisms of TMUV and other flavivirus infection, and conceivably, for therapeutics.

scholarly journals Novel Blood–Brain Barrier Shuttle Peptides Discovered through the Phage Display Method

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Majerova ◽  
Jozef Hanes ◽  
Dominika Olesova ◽  
Jakub Sinsky ◽  
Emil Pilipcinec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Phage Display ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Phage Display Technology ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
Display Technology ◽  
The Brain

Delivery of therapeutic agents into the brain is a major challenge in central nervous system drug development. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) prevents access of biotherapeutics to their targets in the central nervous system and, therefore, prohibits the effective treatment of many neurological disorders. To find blood–brain barrier shuttle peptides that could target therapeutics to the brain, we applied a phage display technology on a primary endothelial rat cellular model. Two identified peptides from a 12 mer phage library, GLHTSATNLYLH and VAARTGEIYVPW, were selected and their permeability was validated using the in vitro BBB model. The permeability of peptides through the BBB was measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry coupled to a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS). We showed higher permeability for both peptides compared to N–C reversed-sequence peptides through in vitro BBB: for peptide GLHTSATNLYLH 3.3 × 10−7 cm/s and for peptide VAARTGEIYVPW 1.5 × 10−6 cm/s. The results indicate that the peptides identified by the in vitro phage display technology could serve as transporters for the administration of biopharmaceuticals into the brain. Our results also demonstrated the importance of proper BBB model for the discovery of shuttle peptides through phage display libraries.

scholarly journals Blood-brain barrier-restricted translocation of Toxoplasma gondii from cortical capillaries

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela C Olivera ◽  
Emily C Ross ◽  
Christiane Peuckert ◽  
Antonio Barragan
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Brain Parenchyma ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Cortical Capillaries ◽  
The Brain

The cellular barriers of the central nervous system proficiently protect the brain parenchyma from infectious insults. Yet, the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii commonly causes latent cerebral infection in humans and other vertebrates. Here, we addressed the role of the cerebral vasculature in the passage of T. gondii to the brain parenchyma. Shortly after inoculation in mice, parasites mainly localized to cortical capillaries, in preference over post-capillary venules, cortical arterioles or meningeal and choroidal vessels. Early invasion to the parenchyma (days 1-5) occurred in absence of a measurable increase in blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, perivascular leukocyte cuffs or hemorrhage. However, sparse focalized permeability elevations were detected adjacently to replicative parasite foci. Further, T. gondii triggered inflammatory responses in cortical microvessels and endothelium. Pro- and anti-inflammatory treatments of mice with LPS and hydrocortisone, respectively, impacted BBB permeability and parasite loads in the brain parenchyma. Finally, pharmacological inhibition or Cre/loxP conditional knockout of endothelial focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a BBB intercellular junction regulator, facilitated parasite translocation to the brain parenchyma. The data reveal that the initial passage of T. gondii to the central nervous system occurs principally across cortical capillaries. The integrity of the microvascular BBB restricts parasite transit, which conversely is exacerbated by the inflammatory response.

scholarly journals The blood–brain barrier

2020 ◽  
pp. S32-S34
Author(s):  
S Dingezweni
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Barrier Structure ◽  
Waste Products ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic barrier essential for central nervous system interstitial fluid separation from circulating blood. This dynamic separation ensures maintenance of neuronal microenvironment homeostasis against that of the everchanging in solutes and toxin concentration in circulating blood. The blood–brain barrier structure is complex, it has multiple contributors, such as specialised blood microvascular endothelium, neurons, astrocytes and pericytes. Transfer of essential nutrients to the brain and waste products from the brain to circulating blood is tightly regulated and facilitated by a large surface area and specialised transport systems. It is not only the physical characteristics of the barrier that assist in maintenance of neuronal microenvironment, biochemical substances and the high trans endothelial electrical resistance also play a major role. Circumventricular organs are those parts of the central nervous system lacking the blood–brain barrier. These are essential for optimum central nervous system interaction with circulating blood directly or using neurotransmitters. Primary or secondary central nervous system pathological states, such as infective and noninfective causes, directly or indirectly induce biochemical mediators that may disrupt and alter blood–brain barrier structure and function. Understanding of the blood–brain barrier anatomy and physiology assists in developing treatment methods to overcome degenerative and pathological states negatively affecting the central nervous system.

scholarly journals Central nervous system diseases associated with blood brain barrier breakdown - A Comprehensive update of existing literatures

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 053-062
Author(s):  
Dutta Rajib
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Barrier Breakdown ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier Breakdown

Blood vessels that supply and feed the central nervous system (CNS) possess unique and exclusive properties, named as blood–brain barrier (BBB). It is responsible for tight regulation of the movement of ions, molecules, and cells between the blood and the brain thereby maintaining controlled chemical composition of the neuronal milieu required for appropriate functioning. It also protects the neural tissue from toxic plasma components, blood cells and pathogens from entering the brain. In this review the importance of BBB and its disruption causing brain pathology and progression to different neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease (HD) etc. will be discussed.

scholarly journals Crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier by Neuroinvasive Pathogens

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-51
Author(s):  
Z. Tkáčová ◽  
E. Káňová ◽  
I. Jiménez-Munguía ◽  
Ľ. Čomor ◽  
I. Širochmanová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Brain Cells ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Host Brain

Abstract The penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and invasion of the central nervous system (CNS) are important steps for all neuroinvasive pathogens. All of the ways of pathogens passing through the BBB are still unclear. Among known pathways, pathogen traversal can occur paracellularly, transcellularly or using a “Trojan horse” mechanism. The first step of translocation across the BBB is the interactions of the pathogen’s ligands with the receptors of the host brain cells. Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in the temperate zones of Europe and North America, are caused by Borreliella species (former Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato) that affects the peripheral and the CNS. In this review, we have presented various pathogen interactions with endothelial cells, which allow the disruption of the BBB so that the pathogens can pass across the BBB.

scholarly journals Blood–brain barrier-on-a-chip: Microphysiological systems that capture the complexity of the blood–central nervous system interface

2017 ◽  
Vol 242 (17) ◽  
pp. 1669-1678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duc TT Phan ◽  
R Hugh F Bender ◽  
Jillian W Andrejecsk ◽  
Agua Sobrino ◽  
Stephanie J Hachey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Vascular Malformations ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
Microphysiological Systems ◽  
The Central Nervous System

The blood–brain barrier is a dynamic and highly organized structure that strictly regulates the molecules allowed to cross the brain vasculature into the central nervous system. The blood–brain barrier pathology has been associated with a number of central nervous system diseases, including vascular malformations, stroke/vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and various neurological tumors including glioblastoma multiforme. There is a compelling need for representative models of this critical interface. Current research relies heavily on animal models (mostly mice) or on two-dimensional (2D) in vitro models, neither of which fully capture the complexities of the human blood–brain barrier. Physiological differences between humans and mice make translation to the clinic problematic, while monolayer cultures cannot capture the inherently three-dimensional (3D) nature of the blood–brain barrier, which includes close association of the abluminal side of the endothelium with astrocyte foot-processes and pericytes. Here we discuss the central nervous system diseases associated with blood–brain barrier pathology, recent advances in the development of novel 3D blood–brain barrier -on-a-chip systems that better mimic the physiological complexity and structure of human blood–brain barrier, and provide an outlook on how these blood–brain barrier-on-a-chip systems can be used for central nervous system disease modeling. Impact statement The field of microphysiological systems is rapidly evolving as new technologies are introduced and our understanding of organ physiology develops. In this review, we focus on Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB) models, with a particular emphasis on how they relate to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, cancer, and vascular malformations. We emphasize the importance of capturing the three-dimensional nature of the brain and the unique architecture of the BBB – something that until recently had not been well modeled by in vitro systems. Our hope is that this review will provide a launch pad for new ideas and methodologies that can provide us with truly physiological BBB models capable of yielding new insights into the function of this critical interface.

scholarly journals Size-selective loosening of the blood-brain barrier in claudin-5–deficient mice

2003 ◽  
Vol 161 (3) ◽  
pp. 653-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takehiro Nitta ◽  
Masaki Hata ◽  
Shimpei Gotoh ◽  
Yoshiteru Seo ◽  
Hiroyuki Sasaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Tight Junctions ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Deficient Mice

Tight junctions are well-developed between adjacent endothelial cells of blood vessels in the central nervous system, and play a central role in establishing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Claudin-5 is a major cell adhesion molecule of tight junctions in brain endothelial cells. To examine its possible involvement in the BBB, claudin-5–deficient mice were generated. In the brains of these mice, the development and morphology of blood vessels were not altered, showing no bleeding or edema. However, tracer experiments and magnetic resonance imaging revealed that in these mice, the BBB against small molecules (<800 D), but not larger molecules, was selectively affected. This unexpected finding (i.e., the size-selective loosening of the BBB) not only provides new insight into the basic molecular physiology of BBB but also opens a new way to deliver potential drugs across the BBB into the central nervous system.

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