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Iemmolo M, Bivona G, Piccoli T, Nicosia A, Schiera G, Di Liegro CM, Di Pietra F, Ghersi G. Effects of Cerebrospinal Fluids from Alzheimer and Non-Alzheimer Patients on Neurons-Astrocytes-Microglia Co-Culture. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2510. [PMID: 38473758 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, characterized by the accumulation of β-amyloid plaques, tau tangles, neuroinflammation, and synaptic/neuronal loss, the latter being the strongest correlating factor with memory and cognitive impairment. Through an in vitro study on a neurons-astrocytes-microglia (NAM) co-culture system, we analyzed the effects of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from AD and non-AD patients (other neurodegenerative pathologies). Treatment with CSF from AD patients showed a loss of neurofilaments and spheroids, suggesting the presence of elements including CX3CL1 (soluble form), destabilizing the neurofilaments, cellular adhesion processes, and intercellular contacts. The NAM co-cultures were analyzed in immunofluorescence assays for several markers related to AD, such as through zymography, where the expression of proteolytic enzymes was quantified both in cell extracts and the co-cultures' conditioned medium (CM). Through qRT-PCR assays, several genes involved in the formation of β-amyloid plaque, in phosphorylation of tau, and in inflammation pathways and MMP expression were investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilda Iemmolo
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giulia Bivona
- Department of Biomedicine Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Tommaso Piccoli
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital "P. Giaccone", 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Aldo Nicosia
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation-National Research Council (IRIB-CNR), 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Gabriella Schiera
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Carlo Maria Di Liegro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Di Pietra
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giulio Ghersi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, 90123 Palermo, Italy
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2
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Zhang L, Zhu B, Zhou X, Ning H, Zhang F, Yan B, Chen J, Ma T. ZNF787 and HDAC1 Mediate Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability in an In Vitro Model of Alzheimer's Disease Microenvironment. Neurotox Res 2024; 42:12. [PMID: 38329647 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-024-00693-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is increased in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This plays a key role in the instigation and maintenance of chronic inflammation during AD. Experiments using AD models showed that the increased permeability of the BBB was mainly caused by the decreased expression of tight junction-related proteins occludin and claudin-5. In this study, we found that ZNF787 and HDAC1 were upregulated in β-amyloid (Aβ)1-42-incubated endothelial cells, resulting in increased BBB permeability. Conversely, the silencing of ZNF787 and HDAC1 by RNAi led to reduced BBB permeability. The silencing of ZNF787 and HDAC1 enhanced the expression of occludin and claudin-5. Mechanistically, ZNF787 binds to promoter regions for occludin and claudin-5 and functions as a transcriptional regulator. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ZNF787 interacts with HDAC1, and this resulted in the downregulation of the expression of genes encoding tight junction-related proteins to increase in BBB permeability. Taken together, our study identifies critical roles for the interaction between ZNF787 and HDAC1 in regulating BBB permeability and the pathogenesis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
| | - Baicheng Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
| | - Xinxin Zhou
- Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, 110034, China
| | - Hao Ning
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
| | - Fengying Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, China
| | - Bingju Yan
- Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, 121000, China
| | - Jiajia Chen
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Teng Ma
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China.
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3
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Schiera G, Di Liegro CM, Schirò G, Sorbello G, Di Liegro I. Involvement of Astrocytes in the Formation, Maintenance, and Function of the Blood-Brain Barrier. Cells 2024; 13:150. [PMID: 38247841 PMCID: PMC10813980 DOI: 10.3390/cells13020150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a fundamental structure that protects the composition of the brain by determining which ions, metabolites, and nutrients are allowed to enter the brain from the blood or to leave it towards the circulation. The BBB is structurally composed of a layer of brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) bound to each other through tight junctions (TJs). However, its development as well as maintenance and properties are controlled by the other brain cells that contact the BCECs: pericytes, glial cells, and even neurons themselves. Astrocytes seem, in particular, to have a very important role in determining and controlling most properties of the BBB. Here, we will focus on these latter cells, since the comprehension of their roles in brain physiology has been continuously expanding, even including the ability to participate in neurotransmission and in complex functions such as learning and memory. Accordingly, pathological conditions that alter astrocytic functions can alter the BBB's integrity, thus compromising many brain activities. In this review, we will also refer to different kinds of in vitro BBB models used to study the BBB's properties, evidencing its modifications under pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Schiera
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (Dipartimento di Scienzee Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche) (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (C.M.D.L.)
| | - Carlo Maria Di Liegro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (Dipartimento di Scienzee Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche) (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (C.M.D.L.)
| | - Giuseppe Schirò
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (G.S.)
- Neurology and Multiple Sclerosis Center, Unità Operativa Complessa (UOC), Foundation Institute “G. Giglio”, 90015 Cefalù, Italy
| | - Gabriele Sorbello
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (G.S.)
| | - Italia Di Liegro
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (G.S.)
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4
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Łach A, Wnuk A, Wójtowicz AK. Experimental Models to Study the Functions of the Blood-Brain Barrier. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:bioengineering10050519. [PMID: 37237588 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10050519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this paper was to discuss the achievements of in vitro modeling in terms of the blood-brain barrier [BBB] and to create a clear overview of this research area, which is useful in research planning. The text was divided into three main parts. The first part describes the BBB as a functional structure, its constitution, cellular and noncellular components, mechanisms of functioning and importance for the central nervous system, in terms of both protection and nourishment. The second part is an overview of parameters important in terms of establishing and maintaining a barrier phenotype that allows for formulating criteria of evaluation of the BBB in vitro models. The third and last part discusses certain techniques for developing the BBB in vitro models. It describes subsequent research approaches and models, as they underwent change alongside technological advancement. On the one hand, we discuss possibilities and limitations of different research approaches: primary cultures vs. cell lines and monocultures vs. multicultures. On the other hand, we review advantages and disadvantages of specific models, such as models-on-a-chip, 3D models or microfluidic models. We not only attempt to state the usefulness of specific models in different kinds of research on the BBB but also emphasize the significance of this area of research for advancement of neuroscience and the pharmaceutical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Łach
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Epigenetics, Department of Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
- Department of Nutrition, Animal Biotechnology and Fisheries, Faculty of Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Wnuk
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Epigenetics, Department of Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Katarzyna Wójtowicz
- Department of Nutrition, Animal Biotechnology and Fisheries, Faculty of Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
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Aazmi A, Zhou H, Lv W, Yu M, Xu X, Yang H, Zhang YS, Ma L. Vascularizing the brain in vitro. iScience 2022; 25:104110. [PMID: 35378862 PMCID: PMC8976127 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain is arguably the most fascinating and complex organ in the human body. Recreating the brain in vitro is an ambition restricted by our limited understanding of its structure and interacting elements. One of these interacting parts, the brain microvasculature, is distinguished by a highly selective barrier known as the blood-brain barrier (BBB), limiting the transport of substances between the blood and the nervous system. Numerous in vitro models have been used to mimic the BBB and constructed by implementing a variety of microfabrication and microfluidic techniques. However, currently available models still cannot accurately imitate the in vivo characteristics of BBB. In this article, we review recent BBB models by analyzing each parameter affecting the accuracy of these models. Furthermore, we propose an investigation of the synergy between BBB models and neuronal tissue biofabrication, which results in more advanced models, including neurovascular unit microfluidic models and vascularized brain organoid-based models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdellah Aazmi
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.,School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hongzhao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.,School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Weikang Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.,School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Mengfei Yu
- The Affiliated Stomatologic Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Xiaobin Xu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
| | - Huayong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.,School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Liang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.,School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Gericke B, Borsdorf S, Wienböker I, Noack A, Noack S, Löscher W. Similarities and differences in the localization, trafficking, and function of P-glycoprotein in MDR1-EGFP-transduced rat versus human brain capillary endothelial cell lines. Fluids Barriers CNS 2021; 18:36. [PMID: 34344390 PMCID: PMC8330100 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-021-00266-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In vitro models based on brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) are among the most versatile tools in blood–brain barrier research for testing drug penetration into the brain and how this is affected by efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein (Pgp). However, compared to freshly isolated brain capillaries or primary BCECs, the expression of Pgp in immortalized BCEC lines is markedly lower, which prompted us previously to transduce the widely used human BCEC line hCMEC/D3 with a doxycycline-inducible MDR1-EGFP fusion plasmid. The EGFP-labeled Pgp in these cells allows studying the localization and trafficking of the transporter and how these processes are affected by drug exposure. Here we used this strategy for the rat BCEC line RBE4 and performed a face-to-face comparison of RBE4 and hCMEC/D3 wild-type (WT) and MDR1-EGFP transduced cells. Methods MDR1-EGFP-transduced variants were derived from WT cells by lentiviral transduction, using an MDR1-linker-EGFP vector. Localization, trafficking, and function of Pgp were compared in WT and MDR1-EGFP transduced cell lines. Primary cultures of rat BCECs and freshly isolated rat brain capillaries were used for comparison. Results All cells exhibited typical BCEC morphology. However, significant differences were observed in the localization of Pgp in that RBE4-MDR1-EGFP cells expressed Pgp primarily at the plasma membrane, whereas in hCMEC/D3 cells, the Pgp-EGFP fusion protein was visible both at the plasma membrane and in endolysosomal vesicles. Exposure to doxorubicin increased the number of Pgp-EGFP-positive endolysosomes, indicating a lysosomotropic effect. Furthermore, lysosomal trapping of doxorubicin was observed, likely contributing to the protection of the cell nucleus from damage. In cocultures of WT and MDR1-EGFP transduced cells, intercellular Pgp-EGFP trafficking was observed in RBE4 cells as previously reported for hCMEC/D3 cells. Compared to WT cells, the MDR1-EGFP transduced cells exhibited a significantly higher expression and function of Pgp. However, the junctional tightness of WT and MDR1-EGFP transduced RBE4 and hCMEC/D3 cells was markedly lower than that of primary BCECs, excluding the use of the cell lines for studying vectorial drug transport. Conclusions The present data indicate that MDR1-EGFP transduced RBE4 cells are an interesting tool to study the biogenesis of lysosomes and Pgp-mediated lysosomal drug trapping in response to chemotherapeutic agents and other compounds at the level of the blood–brain barrier. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12987-021-00266-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birthe Gericke
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany.,Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
| | - Saskia Borsdorf
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Inka Wienböker
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany.,Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andreas Noack
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sandra Noack
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Löscher
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany. .,Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.
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Cell-to-Cell Communication in Learning and Memory: From Neuro- and Glio-Transmission to Information Exchange Mediated by Extracellular Vesicles. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 21:ijms21010266. [PMID: 31906013 PMCID: PMC6982255 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21010266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Most aspects of nervous system development and function rely on the continuous crosstalk between neurons and the variegated universe of non-neuronal cells surrounding them. The most extraordinary property of this cellular community is its ability to undergo adaptive modifications in response to environmental cues originating from inside or outside the body. Such ability, known as neuronal plasticity, allows long-lasting modifications of the strength, composition and efficacy of the connections between neurons, which constitutes the biochemical base for learning and memory. Nerve cells communicate with each other through both wiring (synaptic) and volume transmission of signals. It is by now clear that glial cells, and in particular astrocytes, also play critical roles in both modes by releasing different kinds of molecules (e.g., D-serine secreted by astrocytes). On the other hand, neurons produce factors that can regulate the activity of glial cells, including their ability to release regulatory molecules. In the last fifteen years it has been demonstrated that both neurons and glial cells release extracellular vesicles (EVs) of different kinds, both in physiologic and pathological conditions. Here we discuss the possible involvement of EVs in the events underlying learning and memory, in both physiologic and pathological conditions.
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8
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Canfield SG, Stebbins MJ, Faubion MG, Gastfriend BD, Palecek SP, Shusta EV. An isogenic neurovascular unit model comprised of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain microvascular endothelial cells, pericytes, astrocytes, and neurons. Fluids Barriers CNS 2019; 16:25. [PMID: 31387594 PMCID: PMC6685239 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-019-0145-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) astrocytes, neurons, and pericytes form the neurovascular unit (NVU). Interactions with NVU cells endow BMECs with extremely tight barriers via the expression of tight junction proteins, a host of active efflux and nutrient transporters, and reduced transcellular transport. To recreate the BMEC-enhancing functions of NVU cells, we combined BMECs, astrocytes, neurons, and brain pericyte-like cells. Methods BMECs, neurons, astrocytes, and brain like pericytes were differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and placed in a Transwell-type NVU model. BMECs were placed in co-culture with neurons, astrocytes, and/or pericytes alone or in varying combinations and critical barrier properties were monitored. Results Co-culture with pericytes followed by a mixture of neurons and astrocytes (1:3) induced the greatest barrier tightening in BMECs, supported by a significant increase in junctional localization of occludin. BMECs also expressed active P-glycoprotein (PGP) efflux transporters under baseline BMEC monoculture conditions and continued to express baseline active PGP efflux transporters regardless of co-culture conditions. Finally, brain-like pericyte co-culture significantly reduced the rate of non-specific transcytosis across BMECs. Conclusions Importantly, each cell type in the NVU model was differentiated from the same donor iPSC source, yielding an isogenic model that could prove enabling for enhanced personalized modeling of the NVU in human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott G Canfield
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA. .,Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 620 Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN, 47809, USA.
| | - Matthew J Stebbins
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Madeline G Faubion
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Benjamin D Gastfriend
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Sean P Palecek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Eric V Shusta
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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9
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Logan S, Arzua T, Canfield SG, Seminary ER, Sison SL, Ebert AD, Bai X. Studying Human Neurological Disorders Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: From 2D Monolayer to 3D Organoid and Blood Brain Barrier Models. Compr Physiol 2019; 9:565-611. [PMID: 30873582 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c180025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurological disorders have emerged as a predominant healthcare concern in recent years due to their severe consequences on quality of life and prevalence throughout the world. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of these diseases and the interactions between different brain cell types is essential for the development of new therapeutics. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are invaluable tools for neurological disease modeling, as they have unlimited self-renewal and differentiation capacity. Mounting evidence shows: (i) various brain cells can be generated from iPSCs in two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures; and (ii) further advances in 3D culture systems have led to the differentiation of iPSCs into organoids with multiple brain cell types and specific brain regions. These 3D organoids have gained widespread attention as in vitro tools to recapitulate complex features of the brain, and (iii) complex interactions between iPSC-derived brain cell types can recapitulate physiological and pathological conditions of blood-brain barrier (BBB). As iPSCs can be generated from diverse patient populations, researchers have effectively applied 2D, 3D, and BBB models to recapitulate genetically complex neurological disorders and reveal novel insights into molecular and genetic mechanisms of neurological disorders. In this review, we describe recent progress in the generation of 2D, 3D, and BBB models from iPSCs and further discuss their limitations, advantages, and future ventures. This review also covers the current status of applications of 2D, 3D, and BBB models in drug screening, precision medicine, and modeling a wide range of neurological diseases (e.g., neurodegenerative diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders, brain injury, and neuropsychiatric disorders). © 2019 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 9:565-611, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Logan
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Physiology, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Thiago Arzua
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Physiology, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Scott G Canfield
- IU School of Medicine-Terre Haute, Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology, Terre Haute, Indiana, USA
| | - Emily R Seminary
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Samantha L Sison
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Allison D Ebert
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Xiaowen Bai
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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10
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Stebbins MJ, Gastfriend BD, Canfield SG, Lee MS, Richards D, Faubion MG, Li WJ, Daneman R, Palecek SP, Shusta EV. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived brain pericyte-like cells induce blood-brain barrier properties. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaau7375. [PMID: 30891496 PMCID: PMC6415958 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau7375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Brain pericytes play important roles in the formation and maintenance of the neurovascular unit (NVU), and their dysfunction has been implicated in central nervous system disorders. While human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have been used to model other NVU cell types, including brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), astrocytes, and neurons, hPSC-derived brain pericyte-like cells have not been integrated into these models. In this study, we generated neural crest stem cells (NCSCs), the embryonic precursor to forebrain pericytes, from hPSCs and subsequently differentiated NCSCs to brain pericyte-like cells. These cells closely resembled primary human brain pericytes and self-assembled with endothelial cells. The brain pericyte-like cells induced blood-brain barrier properties in BMECs, including barrier enhancement and reduced transcytosis. Last, brain pericyte-like cells were incorporated with iPSC-derived BMECs, astrocytes, and neurons to form an isogenic human model that should prove useful for the study of the NVU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Stebbins
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Benjamin D. Gastfriend
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Scott G. Canfield
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ming-Song Lee
- Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Drew Richards
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Madeline G. Faubion
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Wan-Ju Li
- Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Richard Daneman
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sean P. Palecek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Corresponding author. (E.V.S.); (S.P.P.)
| | - Eric V. Shusta
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Corresponding author. (E.V.S.); (S.P.P.)
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11
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Song Y, Cai X, Du D, Dutta P, Lin Y. Comparison of Blood-Brain Barrier Models for in vitro Biological Analysis: One Cell Type vs Three Cell Types. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2019; 2:1050-1055. [PMID: 31984375 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.8b00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Different types of in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) models have been constructed and applied for drug transport to evaluate the efficacy of nano-carrier based drug delivery. However, the effectiveness of different types of BBB models has not been reported. In this paper, we developed two types of in vitro models: one-cell type BBB model developed using only endothelial cells and three-cell type BBB model obtained by co-culturing endothelial, pericyte and astrocyte cells. The nanoparticle transport mechanisms through BBB and transport efficiencies of the Lactoferrin attached silica nanoparticles were studied using both types of the in vitro BBB models. Compared with one-cell type model, the PSi-Lf NPs exhibit relatively lower transport efficiency across three-cell type BBB system. Moreover, the effects of the nanoparticle size on the transport efficacies are consistent for both models. For both types of BBB models, the transport efficacies of the NPs are size dependent, and the highest efficacies are achieved for NPs with 25 nm in diameter. Our experimental results indicate that the one-cell type and three-cell type BBB models are equivalent for evaluating and optimizing nanoparticle transport across BBB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Song
- School of Mechanical and Material Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, United States
| | - Xiaoli Cai
- School of Mechanical and Material Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, United States
| | - Dan Du
- School of Mechanical and Material Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, United States
| | - Prashanta Dutta
- School of Mechanical and Material Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, United States
| | - Yuehe Lin
- School of Mechanical and Material Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, United States
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In Vitro Cell Models of the Human Blood-Brain Barrier: Demonstrating the Beneficial Influence of Shear Stress on Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Phenotype. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8946-1_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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13
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Canfield SG, Stebbins MJ, Morales BS, Asai SW, Vatine GD, Svendsen CN, Palecek SP, Shusta EV. An isogenic blood-brain barrier model comprising brain endothelial cells, astrocytes, and neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells. J Neurochem 2017; 140:874-888. [PMID: 27935037 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is critical in maintaining a physical and metabolic barrier between the blood and the brain. The BBB consists of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) that line the brain vasculature and combine with astrocytes, neurons and pericytes to form the neurovascular unit. We hypothesized that astrocytes and neurons generated from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could induce BBB phenotypes in iPSC-derived BMECs, creating a robust multicellular human BBB model. To this end, iPSCs were used to form neural progenitor-like EZ-spheres, which were in turn differentiated to neurons and astrocytes, enabling facile neural cell generation. The iPSC-derived astrocytes and neurons induced barrier tightening in primary rat BMECs indicating their BBB inductive capacity. When co-cultured with human iPSC-derived BMECs, the iPSC-derived neurons and astrocytes significantly elevated trans-endothelial electrical resistance, reduced passive permeability, and improved tight junction continuity in the BMEC cell population, while p-glycoprotein efflux transporter activity was unchanged. A physiologically relevant neural cell mixture of one neuron: three astrocytes yielded optimal BMEC induction properties. Finally, an isogenic multicellular BBB model was successfully demonstrated employing BMECs, astrocytes, and neurons from the same donor iPSC source. It is anticipated that such an isogenic facsimile of the human BBB could have applications in furthering understanding the cellular interplay of the neurovascular unit in both healthy and diseased humans. Read the Editorial Highlight for this article on page 843.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott G Canfield
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Matthew J Stebbins
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Bethsymarie Soto Morales
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Shusaku W Asai
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Gad D Vatine
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Clive N Svendsen
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sean P Palecek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Eric V Shusta
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Tian X, Peng J, Zhong J, Yang M, Pang J, Lou J, Li M, An R, Zhang Q, Xu L, Dong Z. β-Caryophyllene protects in vitro neurovascular unit against oxygen-glucose deprivation and re-oxygenation-induced injury. J Neurochem 2016; 139:757-768. [PMID: 27565895 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
β-Caryophyllene (BCP) mediates neuroprotection in cerebral ischemic animals. The neurovascular unit (NVU) acts as an intricate network to maintain the neuronal homeostatic microenvironment. However, the effects exerted by BCP on NVU remain unclear. Therefore, we established an in vitro NVU model to investigate the effects of BCP on oxygen-glucose deprivation and re-oxygenation (OGD/R)-induced injury. This model involved the co-culture of brain microvascular endothelial cells, neurons, and astrocytes. BCP (10 μmol/L) was applied for 24 h prior to OGD/R and maintained throughout OGD/R. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and neuronal apoptosis were analyzed. BCP pre-treatment prior to the initiation of OGD/R significantly (i) decreased BBB permeability and neuronal apoptosis, (ii) mitigated oxidative stress damage and the release of inflammatory cytokines, (iii) down-regulated Bax expression, metalloproteinase-9 activity and expression, and (iv) up-regulated claudin-5, occludin, ZO-1, growth-associated protein-43 and Bcl-2 expression. Thus, BCP pre-treatment exerted multiple protective effects on NVU in the context of OGD/R-induced injury. These protective effects potentially occur via reductions in oxidative stress damage and inflammatory cytokines that induce BBB breakdown, subsequently resulting in reduced neuronal apoptosis. The NVU serves as putative therapeutic targets for cerebral ischemia, and the results of this study provide new insights for the application of BCP as a neuroprotective agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaocui Tian
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianhua Peng
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jianjun Zhong
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China
| | - Jinwei Pang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jie Lou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China
| | - Minghang Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China
| | - Ruidi An
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China
| | - Lu Xu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhi Dong
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China
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Maugeri R, Schiera G, Di Liegro CM, Fricano A, Iacopino DG, Di Liegro I. Aquaporins and Brain Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17071029. [PMID: 27367682 PMCID: PMC4964405 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17071029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain primary tumors are among the most diverse and complex human cancers, and they are normally classified on the basis of the cell-type and/or the grade of malignancy (the most malignant being glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), grade IV). Glioma cells are able to migrate throughout the brain and to stimulate angiogenesis, by inducing brain capillary endothelial cell proliferation. This in turn causes loss of tight junctions and fragility of the blood–brain barrier, which becomes leaky. As a consequence, the most serious clinical complication of glioblastoma is the vasogenic brain edema. Both glioma cell migration and edema have been correlated with modification of the expression/localization of different isoforms of aquaporins (AQPs), a family of water channels, some of which are also involved in the transport of other small molecules, such as glycerol and urea. In this review, we discuss relationships among expression/localization of AQPs and brain tumors/edema, also focusing on the possible role of these molecules as both diagnostic biomarkers of cancer progression, and therapeutic targets. Finally, we will discuss the possibility that AQPs, together with other cancer promoting factors, can be exchanged among brain cells via extracellular vesicles (EVs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Maugeri
- Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences (BIONEC), University of Palermo, Palermo I-90127, Italy.
| | - Gabriella Schiera
- Department of Biological Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo (UNIPA), Palermo I-90128, Italy.
| | - Carlo Maria Di Liegro
- Department of Biological Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo (UNIPA), Palermo I-90128, Italy.
| | - Anna Fricano
- Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences (BIONEC), University of Palermo, Palermo I-90127, Italy.
- Department of Biological Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo (UNIPA), Palermo I-90128, Italy.
| | - Domenico Gerardo Iacopino
- Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences (BIONEC), University of Palermo, Palermo I-90127, Italy.
| | - Italia Di Liegro
- Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences (BIONEC), University of Palermo, Palermo I-90127, Italy.
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Aparicio-Blanco J, Martín-Sabroso C, Torres-Suárez AI. In vitro screening of nanomedicines through the blood brain barrier: A critical review. Biomaterials 2016; 103:229-255. [PMID: 27392291 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.06.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier accounts for the high attrition rate of the treatments of most brain disorders, which therefore remain one of the greatest health-care challenges of the twenty first century. Against this background of hindrance to brain delivery, nanomedicine takes advantage of the assembly at the nanoscale of available biomaterials to provide a delivery platform with potential to raising brain levels of either imaging or therapeutic agents. Nevertheless, to prevent later failure due to ineffective drug levels at the target site, researchers have been endeavoring to develop a battery of in vitro screening procedures that can predict earlier in the drug discovery process the ability of these cutting-edge drug delivery platforms to cross the blood-brain barrier for biomedical purposes. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the currently available in vitro blood-brain barrier models (both cell-based and non-cell-based) with the focus on their suitability for understanding the biological brain distribution of forthcoming nanomedicines. The relationship between experimental factors and underlying physiological assumptions that would ultimately lead to a more predictive capacity of their in vivo performance, and those methods already assayed for the evaluation of the brain distribution of nanomedicines are comprehensively discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Aparicio-Blanco
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Martín-Sabroso
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana-Isabel Torres-Suárez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain; University Institute of Industrial Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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Extracellular Membrane Vesicles as Vehicles for Brain Cell-to-Cell Interactions in Physiological as well as Pathological Conditions. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:152926. [PMID: 26583089 PMCID: PMC4637152 DOI: 10.1155/2015/152926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles are involved in a great variety of physiological events occurring in the nervous system, such as cross talk among neurons and glial cells in synapse development and function, integrated neuronal plasticity, neuronal-glial metabolic exchanges, and synthesis and dynamic renewal of myelin. Many of these EV-mediated processes depend on the exchange of proteins, mRNAs, and noncoding RNAs, including miRNAs, which occurs among glial and neuronal cells. In addition, production and exchange of EVs can be modified under pathological conditions, such as brain cancer and neurodegeneration. Like other cancer cells, brain tumours can use EVs to secrete factors, which allow escaping from immune surveillance, and to transfer molecules into the surrounding cells, thus transforming their phenotype. Moreover, EVs can function as a way to discard material dangerous to cancer cells, such as differentiation-inducing proteins, and even drugs. Intriguingly, EVs seem to be also involved in spreading through the brain of aggregated proteins, such as prions and aggregated tau protein. Finally, EVs can carry useful biomarkers for the early diagnosis of diseases. Herein we summarize possible roles of EVs in brain physiological functions and discuss their involvement in the horizontal spreading, from cell to cell, of both cancer and neurodegenerative pathologies.
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Xu L, Dan M, Shao A, Cheng X, Zhang C, Yokel RA, Takemura T, Hanagata N, Niwa M, Watanabe D. Silver nanoparticles induce tight junction disruption and astrocyte neurotoxicity in a rat blood-brain barrier primary triple coculture model. Int J Nanomedicine 2015; 10:6105-18. [PMID: 26491287 PMCID: PMC4598217 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s85265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) can enter the brain and induce neurotoxicity. However, the toxicity of Ag-NPs on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the underlying mechanism(s) of action on the BBB and the brain are not well understood. METHOD To investigate Ag-NP suspension (Ag-NPS)-induced toxicity, a triple coculture BBB model of rat brain microvascular endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes was established. The BBB permeability and tight junction protein expression in response to Ag-NPS, NP-released Ag ions, and polystyrene-NP exposure were investigated. Ultrastructural changes of the microvascular endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes were observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Global gene expression of astrocytes was measured using a DNA microarray. RESULTS A triple coculture BBB model of primary rat brain microvascular endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes was established, with the transendothelial electrical resistance values >200 Ω·cm(2). After Ag-NPS exposure for 24 hours, the BBB permeability was significantly increased and expression of the tight junction (TJ) protein ZO-1 was decreased. Discontinuous TJs were also observed between microvascular endothelial cells. After Ag-NPS exposure, severe mitochondrial shrinkage, vacuolations, endoplasmic reticulum expansion, and Ag-NPs were observed in astrocytes by TEM. Global gene expression analysis showed that three genes were upregulated and 20 genes were downregulated in astrocytes treated with Ag-NPS. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that the 23 genes were associated with metabolic processes, biosynthetic processes, response to stimuli, cell death, the MAPK pathway, and so on. No GO term and KEGG pathways were changed in the released-ion or polystyrene-NP groups. Ag-NPS inhibited the antioxidant defense of the astrocytes by increasing thioredoxin interacting protein, which inhibits the Trx system, and decreasing Nr4a1 and Dusp1. Meanwhile, Ag-NPS induced inflammation and apoptosis through modulation of the MAPK pathway or B-cell lymphoma-2 expression or mTOR activity in astrocytes. CONCLUSION These results draw our attention to the importance of Ag-NP-induced toxicity on the neurovascular unit and provide a better understanding of its toxicological mechanisms on astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Xu
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No 2, Temple of Heaven, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- School of Information and Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mo Dan
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No 2, Temple of Heaven, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Anliang Shao
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No 2, Temple of Heaven, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiang Cheng
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, No 2, Temple of Heaven, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cuiping Zhang
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Robert A Yokel
- College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Taro Takemura
- Nanotechnology Innovation Station for Nanoscale Science and Technology, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Hanagata
- Nanotechnology Innovation Station for Nanoscale Science and Technology, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Masami Niwa
- Department of Pharmacology, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- BBB Laboratory, PharmaCo-Cell Company, Ltd., Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Daisuke Watanabe
- Department of Pharmacology, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- BBB Laboratory, PharmaCo-Cell Company, Ltd., Nagasaki, Japan
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Burkhart A, Thomsen LB, Thomsen MS, Lichota J, Fazakas C, Krizbai I, Moos T. Transfection of brain capillary endothelial cells in primary culture with defined blood-brain barrier properties. Fluids Barriers CNS 2015; 12:19. [PMID: 26246240 PMCID: PMC4527128 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-015-0015-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Primary brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) are a promising tool to study the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in vitro, as they maintain many important characteristics of the BBB in vivo, especially when co-cultured with pericytes and/or astrocytes. A novel strategy for drug delivery to the brain is to transform BCECs into protein factories by genetic modifications leading to secretion of otherwise BBB impermeable proteins into the central nervous system. However, a huge challenge underlying this strategy is to enable transfection of non-mitotic BCECs, taking a non-viral approach. We therefore aimed to study transfection in primary, non-mitotic BCECs cultured with defined BBB properties without disrupting the cells’ integrity. Methods Primary cultures of BCECs, pericytes and astrocytes were generated from rat brains and used in three different in vitro BBB experimental arrangements, which were characterised based on a their expression of tight junction proteins and other BBB specific proteins, high trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER), and low passive permeability to radiolabeled mannitol. Recombinant gene expression and protein synthesis were examined in primary BCECs. The BCECs were transfected using a commercially available transfection agent Turbofect™ to express the red fluorescent protein HcRed1-C1. The BCECs were transfected at different time points to monitor transfection in relation to mitotic or non-mitotic cells, as indicated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis after 5-and 6-carboxylfluorescein diacetate succinidyl ester incorporation. Results The cell cultures exhibited important BBB characteristics judged from their expression of BBB specific proteins, high TEER values, and low passive permeability. Among the three in vitro BBB models, co-culturing with BCECs and astrocytes was well suited for the transfection studies. Transfection was independent of cell division and with equal efficacy between the mitotic and non-mitotic BCECs. Importantly, transfection of BCECs exhibiting BBB characteristics did not alter the integrity of the BCECs cell layer. Conclusions The data clearly indicate that non-viral gene therapy of BCECs is possible in primary culture conditions with an intact BBB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Burkhart
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Biomedicine Group, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 3B, 1.216, 9220, Aalborg East, Denmark.
| | - Louiza Bohn Thomsen
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Biomedicine Group, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 3B, 1.216, 9220, Aalborg East, Denmark.
| | - Maj Schneider Thomsen
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Biomedicine Group, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 3B, 1.216, 9220, Aalborg East, Denmark.
| | - Jacek Lichota
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Biomedicine Group, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 3B, 1.216, 9220, Aalborg East, Denmark.
| | - Csilla Fazakas
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - István Krizbai
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Torben Moos
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Biomedicine Group, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 3B, 1.216, 9220, Aalborg East, Denmark.
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Wolff A, Antfolk M, Brodin B, Tenje M. In Vitro Blood-Brain Barrier Models-An Overview of Established Models and New Microfluidic Approaches. J Pharm Sci 2015; 104:2727-46. [PMID: 25630899 DOI: 10.1002/jps.24329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Revised: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The societal need for new central nervous system (CNS) medicines is substantial, because of the global increase in life expectancy and the accompanying increase in age-related CNS diseases. Low blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability has been one of the major causes of failure for new CNS drug candidates. There has therefore been a great interest in cell models, which mimic BBB permeation properties. In this review, we present an overview of the performance of monocultured, cocultured, and triple-cultured primary cells and immortalized cell lines, including key parameters such as transendothelial electrical resistance values, permeabilities of paracellular flux markers, and expression of BBB-specific marker proteins. Microfluidic systems are gaining ground as a new automated technical platform for cell culture and systematic analysis. The performance of these systems was compared with current state-of-the-art models and it was noted that, although they show great promise, these systems have not yet reached beyond the proof-of-concept stage. In general, it was found that there were large variations in experimental protocols, BBB phenotype markers, and paracellular flux markers used. It is the author's opinion that the field may benefit greatly from developing standardized methodologies and initiating collaborative efforts on optimizing culture protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anette Wolff
- Lund University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Antfolk
- Lund University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund, Sweden
| | - Birger Brodin
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Pharmacy, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maria Tenje
- Lund University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund, Sweden.,Uppsala University, Department of Engineering Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Yarong He
- From the Emergency Department, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China (Y.H., Y.C.); Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY (Y.Y.); and Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, NY (S.E.T.)
| | - Yao Yao
- From the Emergency Department, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China (Y.H., Y.C.); Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY (Y.Y.); and Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, NY (S.E.T.)
| | - Stella E Tsirka
- From the Emergency Department, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China (Y.H., Y.C.); Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY (Y.Y.); and Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, NY (S.E.T.)
| | - Yu Cao
- From the Emergency Department, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China (Y.H., Y.C.); Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY (Y.Y.); and Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, NY (S.E.T.).
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Bicker J, Alves G, Fortuna A, Falcão A. Blood-brain barrier models and their relevance for a successful development of CNS drug delivery systems: a review. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2014; 87:409-32. [PMID: 24686194 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2014.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2013] [Revised: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
During the research and development of new drugs directed at the central nervous system, there is a considerable attrition rate caused by their hampered access to the brain by the blood-brain barrier. Throughout the years, several in vitro models have been developed in an attempt to mimic critical functionalities of the blood-brain barrier and reliably predict the permeability of drug candidates. However, the current challenge lies in developing a model that retains fundamental blood-brain barrier characteristics and simultaneously remains compatible with the high throughput demands of pharmaceutical industries. This review firstly describes the roles of all elements of the neurovascular unit and their influence on drug brain penetration. In vitro models, including non-cell based and cell-based models, and in vivo models are herein presented, with a particular emphasis on their methodological aspects. Lastly, their contribution to the improvement of brain drug delivery strategies and drug transport across the blood-brain barrier is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Bicker
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; CNC - Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Gilberto Alves
- CNC - Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; CICS-UBI - Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
| | - Ana Fortuna
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; CNC - Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Amílcar Falcão
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; CNC - Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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Schiera G, Di Liegro CM, Saladino P, Pitti R, Savettieri G, Proia P, Di Liegro I. Oligodendroglioma cells synthesize the differentiation-specific linker histone H1˚ and release it into the extracellular environment through shed vesicles. Int J Oncol 2013; 43:1771-6. [PMID: 24085372 PMCID: PMC3834193 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2013.2115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin remodelling can be involved in some of the epigenetic modifications found in tumor cells. One of the mechanisms at the basis of chromatin dynamics is likely to be synthesis and incorporation of replacement histone variants, such as the H1° linker histone. Regulation of the expression of this protein can thus be critical in tumorigenesis. In developing brain, H1° expression is mainly regulated at the post-transcriptional level and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are involved. In the past, attention mainly focused on the whole brain or isolated neurons and little information is available on H1° expression in other brain cells. Even less is known relating to tumor glial cells. In this study we report that, like in maturing brain and isolated neurons, H1° synthesis sharply increases in differentiating astrocytes growing in a serum-free medium, while the corresponding mRNA decreases. Unexpectedly, in tumor glial cells both H1° RNA and protein are highly expressed, in spite of the fact that H1° is considered a differentiation-specific histone variant. Persistence of H1° mRNA in oligodendroglioma cells is accompanied by high levels of H1° RNA-binding activities which seem to be present, at least in part, also in actively proliferating, but not in differentiating, astrocytes. Finally, we report that oligodendroglioma cells, but not astrocytes, release H1° protein into the culture medium by shedding extracellular vesicles. These findings suggest that deregulation of H1° histone expression can be linked to tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Schiera
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Xue Q, Liu Y, Qi H, Ma Q, Xu L, Chen W, Chen G, Xu X. A novel brain neurovascular unit model with neurons, astrocytes and microvascular endothelial cells of rat. Int J Biol Sci 2013; 9:174-89. [PMID: 23412420 PMCID: PMC3572400 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.5115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2012] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel triple cell neurovascular unit (NVU) model co-culturing with neurons, brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and astrocytes was established in this study for investigating the cerebral diseases and screening the candidates of therapeutic drug. We have first performed the cell identification and morphological characterization, analyzed the specific protein expression and determined the blood-brain barrier (BBB) function of the co-culture model under normal condition. Then, we further determined the BBB function, inflammation, cell injury and the variation of neuroprotective factor in this model after anoxia-reoxygenation. The results suggest that this model exhibited a better BBB function and significantly increased expression of P-glycoprotein (Pg-P) and ZO-1 compared with BMECs only or co-culture with astrocytes or neurons. After anoxia-reoxygenation, the pathological changes of this model were basically resemblance to the pathological changes of brain cells and BBB in vivo. And nimodipine, an antagonist of calcium, could reverse those changes as well. According to our observations, we deduce that this triple cell co-culture model exhibits the basic structure, function and cell-cell interaction of NVU, which may offer a more proper in vitro system of NVU for the further investigation of cerebral diseases and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Xue
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences & College of Chinese Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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25
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Modeling the blood-brain barrier using stem cell sources. Fluids Barriers CNS 2013; 10:2. [PMID: 23305164 PMCID: PMC3564868 DOI: 10.1186/2045-8118-10-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2012] [Accepted: 11/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a selective endothelial interface that controls trafficking between the bloodstream and brain interstitial space. During development, the BBB arises as a result of complex multicellular interactions between immature endothelial cells and neural progenitors, neurons, radial glia, and pericytes. As the brain develops, astrocytes and pericytes further contribute to BBB induction and maintenance of the BBB phenotype. Because BBB development, maintenance, and disease states are difficult and time-consuming to study in vivo, researchers often utilize in vitro models for simplified analyses and higher throughput. The in vitro format also provides a platform for screening brain-penetrating therapeutics. However, BBB models derived from adult tissue, especially human sources, have been hampered by limited cell availability and model fidelity. Furthermore, BBB endothelium is very difficult if not impossible to isolate from embryonic animal or human brain, restricting capabilities to model BBB development in vitro. In an effort to address some of these shortcomings, advances in stem cell research have recently been leveraged for improving our understanding of BBB development and function. Stem cells, which are defined by their capacity to expand by self-renewal, can be coaxed to form various somatic cell types and could in principle be very attractive for BBB modeling applications. In this review, we will describe how neural progenitor cells (NPCs), the in vitro precursors to neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, can be used to study BBB induction. Next, we will detail how these same NPCs can be differentiated to more mature populations of neurons and astrocytes and profile their use in co-culture modeling of the adult BBB. Finally, we will describe our recent efforts in differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to endothelial cells with robust BBB characteristics and detail how these cells could ultimately be used to study BBB development and maintenance, to model neurological disease, and to screen neuropharmaceuticals.
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Identification in the rat brain of a set of nuclear proteins interacting with H1° mRNA. Neuroscience 2012; 229:71-6. [PMID: 23159318 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.10.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2012] [Revised: 10/12/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Synthesis of H1° histone, in the developing rat brain, is also regulated at post-transcriptional level. Regulation of RNA metabolism depends on a series of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs); therefore, we searched for H1° mRNA-interacting proteins. With this aim, we used in vitro transcribed, biotinylated H1° RNA as bait to isolate, by a chromatographic approach, proteins which interact with this mRNA, in the nuclei of brain cells. Abundant RBPs, such as heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) K and hnRNP A1, and molecular chaperones (heat shock cognate 70, Hsc70) were identified by mass spectrometry. Western blot analysis also revealed the presence of cold shock domain-containing protein 2 (CSD-C2, also known as PIPPin), a brain-enriched RBP previously described in our laboratory. Co-immunoprecipitation assays were performed to investigate the possibility that identified proteins interact with each other and with other nuclear proteins. We found that hnRNP K interacts with both hnRNP A1 and Hsc70 whereas there is no interaction between hnRNP A1 and Hsc70. Moreover, CSD-C2 interacts with hnRNP A1, Y box-binding protein 1 (YB-1), and hnRNP K. We also have indications that CSD-C2 interacts with Hsc70. Overall, we have contributed to the molecular characterization of a ribonucleoprotein particle possibly controlling H1° histone expression in the brain.
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Lo Pizzo M, Schiera G, Di Liegro I, Di Liegro CM, Pál J, Czeiter E, Sulyok E, Dóczi T. Aquaporin-4 distribution in control and stressed astrocytes in culture and in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with traumatic brain injuries. Neurol Sci 2012; 34:1309-14. [PMID: 23143012 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-012-1233-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 10/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Distribution of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) was studied by western analysis and immunofluorescence in rat astrocytes exposed to either hypothermic (30 °C) or hyperosmolar (0.45 M sucrose) stress, and in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients who suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI). CSF was obtained from 5 healthy subjects and from 20 patients suffering from severe TBI. CSF samples were taken at admission and on days 3 and 5-7. Here we report that, in response to both hypothermia and hyperosmolar stress, AQP4 was markedly reduced in cultured astrocytes. We also found that AQP4 significantly increased in patients with severe brain injury in respect to healthy subjects (P < 0.002). AQP4 in CSF remained unchanged in patients with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), whereas there was a clear tendency to further increase in those patients whose ICP could be controlled within the normal range. We conclude that AQP4 levels in CSF are elevated after TBI and it might serve as a useful biochemical marker to assess brain water metabolism in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Lo Pizzo
- Department of di Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences (BIONEC), University of Palermo, I-90127, Palermo, Italy
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28
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Takeshita Y, Ransohoff RM. Inflammatory cell trafficking across the blood-brain barrier: chemokine regulation and in vitro models. Immunol Rev 2012; 248:228-39. [PMID: 22725965 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.2012.01127.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the brain-specific capillary barrier that is critical for preventing toxic substances from entering the central nervous system (CNS). In contrast to vessels of peripheral organs, the BBB limits the exchange of inflammatory cells and mediators under physiological and pathological conditions. Clarifying these limitations and the role of chemokines in regulating the BBB would provide new insights into neuroprotective strategies in neuroinflammatory diseases. Because there is a paucity of in vitro BBB models, however, some mechanistic aspects of transmigration across the BBB still remain largely unknown. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of BBB cellular components, the multistep process of inflammatory cells crossing the BBB, functions of CNS-derived chemokines, and in vitro BBB models for transmigration, with a particular focus on new and recent findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukio Takeshita
- Neuroinflammation Research Center, Department of Neuroscience, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
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29
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Booth R, Kim H. Characterization of a microfluidic in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier (μBBB). LAB ON A CHIP 2012; 12:1784-92. [PMID: 22422217 DOI: 10.1039/c2lc40094d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 479] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a unique selective barrier for the central nervous system (CNS), hinders the passage of most compounds to the CNS, complicating drug development. Innovative in vitro models of the BBB can provide useful insights into its role in CNS disease progression and drug delivery. Static transwell models lack fluidic shear stress, while the conventional dynamic in vitro BBB lacks a thin dual cell layer interface. To address both limitations, we developed a microfluidic blood-brain barrier (μBBB) which closely mimics the in vivo BBB with a dynamic environment and a comparatively thin culture membrane (10 μm). To test validity of the fabricated BBB model, μBBBs were cultured with b.End3 endothelial cells, both with and without co-cultured C8-D1A astrocytes, and their key properties were tested with optical imaging, trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER), and permeability assays. The resultant imaging of ZO-1 revealed clearly expressed tight junctions in b.End3 cells, Live/Dead assays indicated high cell viability, and astrocytic morphology of C8-D1A cells were confirmed by ESEM and GFAP immunostains. By day 3 of endothelial culture, TEER levels typically exceeded 250 Ω cm(2) in μBBB co-cultures, and 25 Ω cm(2) for transwell co-cultures. Instantaneous transient drop in TEER in response to histamine exposure was observed in real-time, followed by recovery, implying stability of the fabricated μBBB model. Resultant permeability coefficients were comparable to previous BBB models, and were significantly increased at higher pH (>10). These results demonstrate that the developed μBBB system is a valid model for some studies of BBB function and drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Booth
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, MEB-1445, 50 S Central Campus Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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30
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Vaccinia virus-induced smallpox postvaccinal encephalitis in case of blood–brain barrier damage. Vaccine 2012; 30:1397-405. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.08.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2011] [Revised: 08/26/2011] [Accepted: 08/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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31
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Lippmann ES, Weidenfeller C, Svendsen CN, Shusta EV. Blood-brain barrier modeling with co-cultured neural progenitor cell-derived astrocytes and neurons. J Neurochem 2011; 119:507-20. [PMID: 21854389 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2011.07434.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) models often consist of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) that are co-cultured with other cells of the neurovascular unit, such as astrocytes and neurons, to enhance BBB properties. Obtaining primary astrocytes and neurons for co-culture models can be laborious, while yield and heterogeneity of primary isolations can also be limiting. Neural progenitor cells (NPCs), because of their self-renewal capacity and ability to reproducibly differentiate into tunable mixtures of neurons and astrocytes, represent a facile, readily scalable alternative. To this end, differentiated rat NPCs were co-cultured with rat BMECs and shown to induce BBB properties such as elevated trans-endothelial electrical resistance, improved tight junction continuity, polarized p-glycoprotein efflux, and low passive permeability at levels indistinguishable from those induced by primary rat astrocyte co-culture. An NPC differentiation time of 12 days, with the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum, was found to be crucial for generating NPC-derived progeny capable of inducing the optimal response. This approach could also be extended to human NPC-derived astrocytes and neurons which similarly regulated BBB induction. The distribution of rat or human NPC-derived progeny under these conditions was found to be a roughly 3 : 1 mixture of astrocytes to neurons with varying degrees of cellular maturity. BMEC gene expression analysis was conducted using a BBB gene panel, and it was determined that 23 of 26 genes were similarly regulated by either differentiated rat NPC or rat astrocyte co-culture while three genes were differentially altered by the rat NPC-derived progeny. Taken together, these results demonstrate that NPCs are an attractive alternative to primary neural cells for use in BBB co-culture models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan S Lippmann
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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32
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Alberghina M. Phospholipase A2: New lessons from endothelial cells. Microvasc Res 2010; 80:280-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2010.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2010] [Revised: 03/24/2010] [Accepted: 03/24/2010] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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33
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Cardoso FL, Brites D, Brito MA. Looking at the blood-brain barrier: molecular anatomy and possible investigation approaches. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 64:328-63. [PMID: 20685221 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2010.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 389] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2009] [Revised: 05/18/2010] [Accepted: 05/19/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic and complex interface between blood and the central nervous system that strictly controls the exchanges between the blood and brain compartments, therefore playing a key role in brain homeostasis and providing protection against many toxic compounds and pathogens. In this review, the unique properties of brain microvascular endothelial cells and intercellular junctions are examined. The specific interactions between endothelial cells and basement membrane as well as neighboring perivascular pericytes, glial cells and neurons, which altogether constitute the neurovascular unit and play an essential role in both health and function of the central nervous system, are also explored. Some relevant pathways across the endothelium, as well as mechanisms involved in the regulation of BBB permeability, and the emerging role of the BBB as a signaling interface are addressed as well. Furthermore, we summarize some of the experimental approaches that can be used to monitor BBB properties and function in a variety of conditions and have allowed recent advances in BBB knowledge. Elucidation of the molecular anatomy and dynamics of the BBB is an essential step for the development of new strategies directed to maintain or restore BBB integrity and barrier function and ultimately preserve the delicate interstitial brain environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Lourenço Cardoso
- Research Institute for Medicines and Pharmaceutical Sciences (iMed.UL), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
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34
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A new blood–brain barrier model using primary rat brain endothelial cells, pericytes and astrocytes. Neurochem Int 2009; 54:253-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2008.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 505] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2008] [Revised: 11/28/2008] [Accepted: 12/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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35
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Lu TS, Avraham HK, Seng S, Tachado SD, Koziel H, Makriyannis A, Avraham S. Cannabinoids inhibit HIV-1 Gp120-mediated insults in brain microvascular endothelial cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 181:6406-16. [PMID: 18941231 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.181.9.6406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
HIV-1 infection has significant effect on the immune system as well as on the nervous system. Breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is frequently observed in patients with HIV-associated dementia (HAD) despite lack of productive infection of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC). Cellular products and viral proteins secreted by HIV-1 infected cells, such as the HIV-1 Gp120 envelope glycoprotein, play important roles in BBB impairment and HIV-associated dementia development. HBMEC are a major component of the BBB. Using cocultures of HBMEC and human astrocytes as a model system for human BBB as well as in vivo model, we show for the first time that cannabinoid agonists inhibited HIV-1 Gp120-induced calcium influx mediated by substance P and significantly decreased the permeability of HBMEC as well as prevented tight junction protein down-regulation of ZO-1, claudin-5, and JAM-1 in HBMEC. Furthermore, cannabinoid agonists inhibited the transmigration of human monocytes across the BBB and blocked the BBB permeability in vivo. These results demonstrate that cannabinoid agonists are able to restore the integrity of HBMEC and the BBB following insults by HIV-1 Gp120. These studies may lead to better strategies for treatment modalities targeted to the BBB following HIV-1 infection of the brain based on cannabinoid pharmacotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzong-Shi Lu
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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36
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Schiera G, Proia P, Alberti C, Mineo M, Savettieri G, Di Liegro I. Neurons produce FGF2 and VEGF and secrete them at least in part by shedding extracellular vesicles. J Cell Mol Med 2008; 11:1384-94. [PMID: 18205708 PMCID: PMC4401300 DOI: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2007.00100.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously found that neurons are able to affect the ability of brain capillary endothelial cells to form in vitro a monolayer with properties resembling the blood-brain barrier. We then looked, by immunofluorescence and western analysis, for factors, produced by neurons, with the potential to influence growth and differentiation of endothelial cells. In the present paper, we report that neurons produce both vascular endothelial growth factor and fibroblast growth factor 2, two well-known angiogenic factors. More interestingly, we gained evidence that both factors are released by neurons, at least in part, by shedding of extracellular vesicles, that contain beta1 integrin, a membrane protein already known to be part of extracellular vesicles released by tumour cells. Shedding of extracellular vesicles by neurons was also confirmed by scanner electron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Schiera
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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37
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Frampton JP, Shuler ML, Shain W, Hynd MR. Biomedical Technologies for in vitro Screening and Controlled Delivery of Neuroactive Compounds. Cent Nerv Syst Agents Med Chem 2008; 8:203-219. [PMID: 19079777 PMCID: PMC2600660 DOI: 10.2174/187152408785699613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cell culture models can provide information pertaining to the effective dose, toxiciology, and kinetics, for a variety of neuroactive compounds. However, many in vitro models fail to adequately predict how such compounds will perform in a living organism. At the systems level, interactions between organs can dramatically affect the properties of a compound by alteration of its biological activity or by elimination of it from the body. At the tissue level, interaction between cell types can alter the transport properties of a particular compound, or can buffer its effects on target cells by uptake, processing, or changes in chemical signaling between cells. In any given tissue, cells exist in a three-dimensional environment bounded on all sides by other cells and components of the extracellular matrix, providing kinetics that are dramatically different from the kinetics in traditional two-dimensional cell culture systems. Cell culture analogs are currently being developed to better model the complex transport and processing that occur prior to drug uptake in the CNS, and to predict blood-brain barrier permeability. These approaches utilize microfluidics, hydrogel matrices, and a variety of cell types (including lung epithelial cells, hepatocytes, adipocytes, glial cells, and neurons) to more accurately model drug transport and biological activity. Similar strategies are also being used to control both the spatial and temporal release of therapeutic compounds for targeted treatment of CNS disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Frampton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
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38
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Romanitan MO, Popescu BO, Winblad B, Bajenaru OA, Bogdanovic N. Occludin is overexpressed in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. J Cell Mol Med 2007; 11:569-79. [PMID: 17635647 PMCID: PMC3922362 DOI: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2007.00047.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The tight junctions (TJs) are key players in the control of blood-brain barrier (BBB) properties, the most complex TJs in the vascular system being found in the endothelial cells of brain capillaries. One of the main TJs proteins is occludin, which anchors plasma membranes of neighbour cells and is present in large amounts in the brain endothelia. Previous studies demonstrated that disruption of BBB in various pathological situations associates with changes in occludin expression, and this change could be responsible for malfunction of BBB. Therefore in this study, applying an immunohistochemical approach, we decided to explore the occludin expression in frontal cortex (FC) and basal ganglia in ageing control, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VD) brains, as far as all these pathologies associate microangiopathy and disruption of BBB. Strikingly, we found selected neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes expressing occludin, in all cases studied. To estimate the number of occludin-expressing neurons, we applied a stereological approach with random systematic sampling and the unbiased optical fractionator method. We report here a significant increase in ratio of occludin-expressing neurons in FC and basal ganglia regions in both AD and VD as compared to ageing controls. Within the cerebral cortex, occludin was selectively expressed by pyramidal neurons, which are the ones responsible for cognitive processes and affected by AD pathology. Our findings could be important in unravelling new pathogenic pathways in dementia disorders and new functions of occludin and TJs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Oana Romanitan
- Division of Experimental Geriatrics, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of NVS,Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bucharest, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine andPharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- *Correspondence to: Nenad BOGDANOVIC Division of Experimental Geriatrics, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of NVS, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 14 186, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 585 86483 Fax: +46 8 585 83880 E-mail:
| | - Bogdan O Popescu
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bucharest, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine andPharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- ‘Victor Babes,’ National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Bengt Winblad
- Division of Experimental Geriatrics, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of NVS,Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ovidiu Alexandru Bajenaru
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bucharest, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine andPharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Nenad Bogdanovic
- Division of Experimental Geriatrics, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of NVS,Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- *Correspondence to: Nenad BOGDANOVIC Division of Experimental Geriatrics, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of NVS, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 14 186, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 585 86483 Fax: +46 8 585 83880 E-mail:
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Gama Sosa MA, De Gasperi R, Rocher AB, Perez GM, Simons K, Cruz DE, Hof PR, Elder GA. Interactions of primary neuroepithelial progenitor and brain endothelial cells: distinct effect on neural progenitor maintenance and differentiation by soluble factors and direct contact. Cell Res 2007; 17:619-26. [PMID: 17593907 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2007.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurovascular interactions are crucial for the normal development of the central nervous system. To study such interactions in primary cultures, we developed a procedure to simultaneously isolate neural progenitor and endothelial cell fractions from embryonic mouse brains. Depending on the culture conditions endothelial cells were found to favor maintenance of the neuroprogenitor phenotype through the production of soluble factors, or to promote neuronal differentiation of neural progenitors through direct contact. These apparently opposing effects could reflect differential cellular interactions needed for the proper development of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Gama Sosa
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University, New York, NY, USA.
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40
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Nakagawa S, Deli MA, Nakao S, Honda M, Hayashi K, Nakaoke R, Kataoka Y, Niwa M. Pericytes from brain microvessels strengthen the barrier integrity in primary cultures of rat brain endothelial cells. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2007; 27:687-94. [PMID: 17823866 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-007-9195-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 234] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2007] [Accepted: 08/05/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
(1) The blood-brain barrier (BBB) characteristics of cerebral endothelial cells are induced by organ-specific local signals. Brain endothelial cells lose their phenotype in cultures without cross-talk with neighboring cells. (2) In contrast to astrocytes, pericytes, another neighboring cell of endothelial cells in brain capillaries, are rarely used in BBB co-culture systems. (3) Seven different types of BBB models, mono-culture, double and triple co-cultures, were constructed from primary rat brain endothelial cells, astrocytes and pericytes on culture inserts. The barrier integrity of the models were compared by measurement of transendothelial electrical resistance and permeability for the small molecular weight marker fluorescein. (4) We could confirm that brain endothelial monolayers in mono-culture do not form tight barrier. Pericytes induced higher electrical resistance and lower permeability for fluorescein than type I astrocytes in co-culture conditions. In triple co-culture models the tightest barrier was observed when endothelial cells and pericytes were positioned on the two sides of the porous filter membrane of the inserts and astrocytes at the bottom of the culture dish. (5) For the first time a rat primary culture based syngeneic triple co-culture BBB model has been constructed using brain pericytes beside brain endothelial cells and astrocytes. This model, mimicking closely the anatomical position of the cells at the BBB in vivo, was superior to the other BBB models tested. (6) The influence of pericytes on the BBB properties of brain endothelial cells may be as important as that of astrocytes and could be exploited in the construction of better BBB models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinsuke Nakagawa
- Department of Pharmacology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
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41
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Gammon ST, Leevy WM, Gross S, Gokel GW, Piwnica-Worms D. Spectral unmixing of multicolored bioluminescence emitted from heterogeneous biological sources. Anal Chem 2007; 78:1520-7. [PMID: 16503603 PMCID: PMC2615584 DOI: 10.1021/ac051999h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
A wide variety of bioluminescent luciferase proteins are available for use in transcriptional or biochemical reporter assays. However, spectral overlap normally prevents them from being monitored simultaneously. To address this problem, a Java plug-in for ImageJ was written to deconvolute bioluminescent images composed of signals from multiple luciferases. The methodology was validated by testing the program with both simulated and real luciferase images. Bioluminescent images were acquired using a CCD camera equipped with optical filters, and the images were deconvoluted using the ImageJ plug-in. HeLa cells were transfected with either click beetle red luciferase (CBR), click beetle green luciferase (CBG99), or Renilla luciferase (Rluc), and mixed lysates were imaged in varying proportions in a 96-well plate to biochemically validate the methodology. After spectral deconvolution, the predicted, pure luciferase signals could be recovered with maximal cross-talk errors of +/-1.5%. In addition, live cells expressing CBR, CBG99, and Rluc were simultaneously imaged and deconvoluted in 96-well plates to demonstrate the feasibility of applying this methodology to high-throughput applications. Finally, multicolor transcriptional and posttranslational modification reporters were simultaneously imaged and shown to deconvolute normalized IkappaBeta kinase activity in longitudinal assays. Thus, our software provided a rapid, simple, and accurate method for simultaneously measuring multiple bioluminescent reporters in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth T Gammon
- Molecular Imaging Center, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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Harry GJ, Tiffany-Castiglioni E. Evaluation of neurotoxic potential by use of in vitro systems. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2006; 1:701-13. [PMID: 16863434 DOI: 10.1517/17425255.1.4.701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
In vitro systems have been proposed, but not yet demonstrated, as a method to assess the neurotoxicity of compounds in an efficient and rapid manner. Although such tests are desired both for pharmaceuticals and environmental agents, such a battery has yet to be developed that is based on known processes of nervous system dysfunction. In this review article, characteristics and potential limitations associated with in vitro methods are discussed. Many of these features have been identified from a larger body of work examining the neurotoxicity of environmental agents and the mechanisms underlying activity of known neurotoxicants. These issues include relevant drug concentrations, factors that limit or alter drug accessibility to the nervous system, and the need for assays to reflect biologically meaningful end points. This commentary briefly surveys in vitro systems of increasing biological complexity currently available for toxicity testing, from single cell types to systems that preserve some aspects of tissue structure and function. A small number of studies to evaluate drugs for cytotoxicity and biological responses in vitro are presented as representative of the current state of the field and to provide a reference and direction for additional development of methods to assess a compound's potential for neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaylia Jean Harry
- National Institutes of Health, Laboratory of Neurobiology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
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