scholarly journals Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier: Its Role in Spinal Disorders and Emerging Therapeutic Strategies

NeuroSci ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Neha Chopra ◽  
Spiro Menounos ◽  
Jaesung P. Choi ◽  
Philip M. Hansbro ◽  
Ashish D. Diwan ◽  
...  

The blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) has been long thought of as a functional equivalent to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), restricting blood flow into the spinal cord. The spinal cord is supported by various disc tissues that provide agility and has different local immune responses compared to the brain. Though physiologically, structural components of the BSCB and BBB share many similarities, the clinical landscape significantly differs. Thus, it is crucial to understand the composition of BSCB and also to establish the cause–effect relationship with aberrations and spinal cord dysfunctions. Here, we provide a descriptive analysis of the anatomy, current techniques to assess the impairment of BSCB, associated risk factors and impact of spinal disorders such as spinal cord injury (SCI), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), peripheral nerve injury (PNI), ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI), degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM), multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cavernous malformations (SCM) and cancer on BSCB dysfunction. Along with diagnostic and mechanistic analyses, we also provide an up-to-date account of available therapeutic options for BSCB repair. We emphasize the need to address BSCB as an individual entity and direct future research towards it.

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 373-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Fang ◽  
Xiao-Qian Li ◽  
Bo Bi ◽  
Wen-Fei Tan ◽  
Gang Liu ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Dexmedetomidine has beneficial effects on ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury to the spinal cord, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study investigated the effects and possible mechanisms of dexmedetomidine on blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) disruption induced by spinal cord I/R injury. Methods: Rats were intrathecally pretreated with dexmedetomidine or PBS control 30 minutes before undergoing 14-minute occlusion of aortic arch. Hind-limb motor function was assessed using Tarlov criteria, and motor neurons in the ventral gray matter were counted by histological examination. The permeability of the BSCB was examined using Evans blue (EB) as a vascular tracer. The spinal cord edema was evaluated using the wet-dry method. The expression and localization of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) and Tie2 were assessed by western blot, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunofluorescence. Results: Intrathecal preconditioning with dexmedetomidine minimized the neuromotor dysfunction and histopathological deficits, and attenuated EB extravasation after spinal cord I/R injury. In addition, dexmedetomidine preconditioning suppressed I/R-induced increase in MMP-9. Finally, Dexmedetomidine preconditioning enhanced the Ang1-Tie2 system activity after spinal cord I/R injury. Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine preconditioning stabilized the BSCB integrity against spinal cord I/R injury by inhibition of MMP-9, and enhancing the Ang1-Tie2 system.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Jia ◽  
Zhe Li ◽  
Bo Fang ◽  
Yi Chang ◽  
Yongjian Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Spinal cord ischemia reperfusion (IR) is associated with an inflammatory response. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) taurine upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) and microRNA-29b (miR-29b) family are frequently dysregulated in neuro-ischemic diseases. However, their potential roles in spinal cord IR injury (IR) are unknown. Methods: A spinal cord IR model was established in rats by14-minute occlusion of aortic arch. The aberrant miRNAs were identified by microarray analysis, and qRT-PCR was used to validate the lncRNA and microRNA levels. The motor function of the differentially-treated animals was assessed by Tarlov scores, and the leakage of Blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) was measured in terms of the extravasation of Evans blue (EB) dye. The expression levels of different proteins were analyzed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. The interaction between TUG1 and miR-29b-1-5p, TRIL and miR-29b-1-5p, and MTDH and miR-29b-1-5p were determined using bioinformatics programs and the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results: MiR-29b-1-5p was significantly downregulated and TUG1 was upregulated in the spinal cord of rats after IR. In addition, TRIL and MTDH protein levels were also significantly increased after IR. MTDH was predicted as a target of miR-29b-1-5p and its knockdown downregulated NF-κB and IL-1β levels. In addition, a direct interaction was observed between TUG1 and miR-29b-1-5p, and knocking down TUG1 upregulated the miRNA. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-29b-1-5p or TUG1 knockdown alleviated BSCB leakage and improved hind-limb motor function, and downregulated MTDH and its downstream pro-inflammatory cytokines. Suppression of miR-29b-1-5p reversed the neuroprotective effect of TUG1 knockdown, restored the levels of MTDH/ NF-κB/IL-1β and activated astrocytes. Conclusion: Downregulation of TUG1 alleviated MTDH/NF-κB/IL-1β pathway-mediated inflammatory damage after IR by targeting miR-29b-1-5p. Keywords: Spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury, Neuroinflammation, Blood-spinal cord barrier, Astrocytes, TUG1, miR-29b-1-5p, MTDH


2007 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 845-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Maier ◽  
Angelika Scheuerle ◽  
Balázs Hauser ◽  
Hubert Schelzig ◽  
Csaba Szabó ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Zhu ◽  
Jia-xin Li ◽  
Masayuki Fujino ◽  
Jian Zhuang ◽  
Xiao-Kang Li

During aortic surgery, interruption of spinal cord blood flow might cause spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). The incidence of spinal cord IRI after aortic surgery is up to 28%, and patients with spinal cord IRI might suffer from postoperative paraplegia or paraparesis. Spinal cord IRI includes two phases. The immediate spinal cord injury is related to acute ischemia. And the delayed spinal cord injury involves both ischemic cellular death and reperfusion injury. Inflammation is a subsequent event of spinal cord ischemia and possibly a major contributor to spinal cord IRI. However, the development of inflammatory mediators is incompletely demonstrated. And treatments available for inflammation in spinal cord IRI are insufficient. Improved understanding about spinal cord IRI and the development of inflammatory cells and cytokines in this process will provide novel therapeutic strategies for spinal cord IRI. Inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-αand IL-1) may play an important role in spinal cord IRI. For treatment of several intractable autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), where inflammatory cytokines are involved in disease progression, anti-inflammatory cytokine antagonist is now available. Hence, there is great potential of anti-inflammatory cytokine antagonist for therapeutic use of spinal cord IRI. We here review the mediators and several possibilities of treatment in spinal cord IRI.


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