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Peirouvi T, Aliaghaei A, Eslami Farsani B, Ziaeipour S, Ebrahimi V, Forozesh M, Ghadipasha M, Mahmoudiasl GR, Aryan A, Moghimi N, Abdi S, Raoofi A, Kargar Godaneh M, Abdollahifar MA. COVID-19 disrupts the blood-testis barrier through the induction of inflammatory cytokines and disruption of junctional proteins. Inflamm Res 2021; 70:1165-1175. [PMID: 34436630 PMCID: PMC8387554 DOI: 10.1007/s00011-021-01497-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Junctional proteins are the most important component of the blood-testis barrier and maintaining the integrity of this barrier is essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility. The present study elucidated the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the blood-testis barrier (BTB) in patients who died from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) complications. METHODS In this study, lung and testis tissue was collected from autopsies of COVID-19 positive (n = 10) and negative men (n = 10) and was taken for stereology, immunocytochemistry, and RNA extraction. RESULTS Evaluation of the lung tissue showed that the SARS-CoV-2 infection caused extensive damage to the lung tissue and also increases inflammation in testicular tissue and destruction of the testicular blood barrier. Autopsied testicular specimens of COVID-19 showed that COVID-19 infection significantly changes the spatial arrangement of testicular cells and notably decreased the number of Sertoli cells. Moreover, the immunohistochemistry results showed a significant reduction in the protein expression of occluding, claudin-11, and connexin-43 in the COVID-19 group. In addition, we also observed a remarkable enhancement in protein expression of CD68 in the testes of the COVID-19 group in comparison with the control group. Furthermore, the result showed that the expression of TNF-α, IL1β, and IL6 was significantly increased in COVID-19 cases as well as the expression of occludin, claudin-11, and connexin-43 was decreased in COVID-19 cases. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the present study demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 could induce the up-regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine and down-regulation of junctional proteins of the BTB, which can disrupt BTB and ultimately impair spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahmineh Peirouvi
- Department of Histology, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Abbas Aliaghaei
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Arabi Ave, Daneshjuo Blvd, Erabi Ave, Velenjak, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Sanaz Ziaeipour
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Arabi Ave, Daneshjuo Blvd, Erabi Ave, Velenjak, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Ebrahimi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mehdi Forozesh
- Forensic Medicine Legal Medicine Research Center, Iranian Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud Ghadipasha
- Forensic Medicine Legal Medicine Research Center, Iranian Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Arefeh Aryan
- Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Negin Moghimi
- Department of Histology, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Arabi Ave, Daneshjuo Blvd, Erabi Ave, Velenjak, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shabnam Abdi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Raoofi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Mohammadhossein Kargar Godaneh
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Arabi Ave, Daneshjuo Blvd, Erabi Ave, Velenjak, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Arabi Ave, Daneshjuo Blvd, Erabi Ave, Velenjak, Tehran, Iran.
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Jorgez CJ, Seth A, Wilken N, Bournat JC, Chen CH, Lamb DJ. E2F1 regulates testicular descent and controls spermatogenesis by influencing WNT4 signaling. Development 2021; 148:dev191189. [PMID: 33441379 PMCID: PMC7823160 DOI: 10.1242/dev.191189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cryptorchidism is the most common urologic birth defect in men and is a predisposing factor of male infertility and testicular cancer, yet the etiology remains largely unknown. E2F1 microdeletions and microduplications contribute to cryptorchidism, infertility and testicular tumors. Although E2f1 deletion or overexpression in mice causes spermatogenic failure, the mechanism by which E2f1 influences testicular function is unknown. This investigation revealed that E2f1-null mice develop cryptorchidism with severe gubernacular defects and progressive loss of germ cells resulting in infertility and, in rare cases, testicular tumors. It was hypothesized that germ cell depletion resulted from an increase in WNT4 levels. To test this hypothesis, the phenotype of a double-null mouse model lacking both Wnt4 and E2f1 in germ cells was analyzed. Double-null mice are fertile. This finding indicates that germ cell maintenance is dependent on E2f1 repression of Wnt4, supporting a role for Wnt4 in germ cell survival. In the future, modulation of WNT4 expression in men with cryptorchidism and spermatogenic failure due to E2F1 copy number variations may provide a novel approach to improve their spermatogenesis and perhaps their fertility potential after orchidopexy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina J Jorgez
- Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Abhishek Seth
- Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nathan Wilken
- Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Juan C Bournat
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ching H Chen
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dolores J Lamb
- Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Brady Urology Department, Center for Reproductive Genomics and Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Liu L, Zhang Y, Chang X, Li R, Wu C, Tang L, Zhou Z. Fluorochloridone perturbs blood-testis barrier/Sertoli cell barrier function through Arp3-mediated F-actin disruption. Toxicol Lett 2018; 295:277-287. [PMID: 29981920 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There are reports of fluorochloridone (FLC)-induced male reproductive toxicity, but the underlying toxicological mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we looked at how FLC exposure affected the integrity of the blood-testis barrier (BTB) and the Sertoli cell barrier and studied the molecular mechanisms. Male rats received gavage administration of FLC (30 mg/kg/d) for 14 consecutive days with sample collection at the 7th and 14th day; and primary cultured Sertoli cells were treated with 0-10 μM FLC in vitro for 24 h. Our in vivo findings revealed that FLC exposure caused time-dependent testicular injuries, sperm quality decrease as well as adverse changes in BTB integrity, F-actin organization, and expressions of claudin-11 and Arp3. In Sertoli cells isolated from FLC-treated rat testis, Sertoli cell barrier tightness was increased. In Sertoli cells in vitro exposed to FLC, abnormal changes in the barrier permeability were also observed, and the protein expressions of occludin, claudin-11, ZO-1, connexin-43, and Arp3 were significantly decreased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, the FLC-induced adverse changes in Sertoli cell barrier and F-actin were partly alleviated by the induction of Arp3 overexpression. In conclusion, our findings revealed that FLC perturbed BTB/Sertoli cell barrier function through Arp3-mediated F-actin disorganization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luqing Liu
- School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory for Public Health Safety, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yubin Zhang
- School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory for Public Health Safety, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiuli Chang
- School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory for Public Health Safety, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Rui Li
- School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory for Public Health Safety, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chunhua Wu
- School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory for Public Health Safety, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Liming Tang
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zhijun Zhou
- School of Public Health, MOE Key Laboratory for Public Health Safety, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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Fan Y, Liu Y, Xue K, Gu G, Fan W, Xu Y, Ding Z. Diet-induced obesity in male C57BL/6 mice decreases fertility as a consequence of disrupted blood-testis barrier. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120775. [PMID: 25886196 PMCID: PMC4401673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a complex metabolic disease that is a serious detriment to both children and adult health, which induces a variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, hypertension and cancer. Although adverse effects of obesity on female reproduction or oocyte development have been well recognized, its harmfulness to male fertility is still unclear because of reported conflicting results. The aim of this study was to determine whether diet-induced obesity impairs male fertility and furthermore to uncover its underlying mechanisms. Thus, male C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks served as a model of diet-induced obesity. The results clearly show that the percentage of sperm motility and progressive motility significantly decreased, whereas the proportion of teratozoospermia dramatically increased in HFD mice compared to those in normal diet fed controls. Besides, the sperm acrosome reaction fell accompanied by a decline in testosterone level and an increase in estradiol level in the HFD group. This alteration of sperm function parameters strongly indicated that the fertility of HFD mice was indeed impaired, which was also validated by a low pregnancy rate in their mated normal female. Moreover, testicular morphological analyses revealed that seminiferous epithelia were severely atrophic, and cell adhesions between spermatogenic cells and Sertoli cells were loosely arranged in HFD mice. Meanwhile, the integrity of the blood-testis barrier was severely interrupted consistent with declines in the tight junction related proteins, occludin, ZO-1 and androgen receptor, but instead endocytic vesicle-associated protein, clathrin rose. Taken together, obesity can impair male fertility through declines in the sperm function parameters, sex hormone level, whereas during spermatogenesis damage to the blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity may be one of the crucial underlying factors accounting for this change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Fan
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ke Xue
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guobao Gu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, The Central Hospital of Zhabei District, Shanghai, China
| | - Weimin Fan
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Human Reproductive Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yali Xu
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhide Ding
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
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Li MWM, Mruk DD, Lee WM, Cheng CY. Disruption of the blood-testis barrier integrity by bisphenol A in vitro: is this a suitable model for studying blood-testis barrier dynamics? Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2009; 41:2302-14. [PMID: 19497385 PMCID: PMC3516449 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2009.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2009] [Revised: 05/24/2009] [Accepted: 05/26/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Bisphenol A, an estrogenic environmental toxicant, has been implicated to have hazardous effects on reproductive health in humans and rodents. However, there are conflicting reports in the literature regarding its effects on male reproductive function. In this study, it was shown that in adult rats treated with acute doses of bisphenol A, a small but statistically insignificant percentage of seminiferous tubules in the testes displayed signs of germ cell loss, consistent with some earlier reports. It also failed to disrupt the blood-testis barrier in vivo. This is possibly due to the low bioavailability of free bisphenol A in the systemic circulation. However, bisphenol A disrupted the blood-testis barrier when administered to immature 20-day-old rats, consistent with earlier reports concerning the higher susceptibility of immature rats towards bisphenol A. This observation was confirmed using primary Sertoli cells cultured in vitro with established tight junction-permeability barrier that mimicked the blood-testis barrier in vivo. The reversible disruption of Sertoli cell tight junction barrier by bisphenol A was associated with an activation of ERK, and a decline in the levels of selected proteins at the tight junction, basal ectoplasmic specialization, and gap junction at the blood-testis barrier. Studies by dual-labeled immunofluorescence analysis and biotinylation techniques also illustrated declining levels of occludin, connexin 43, and N-cadherin at the cell-cell interface following bisphenol A treatment. In summary, bisphenol A reversibly perturbs the integrity of the blood-testis barrier in Sertoli cells in vitro, which can also serve as a suitable model for studying the dynamics of the blood-testis barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle W. M. Li
- Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065
| | - Dolores D. Mruk
- Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065
| | - Will M. Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - C. Yan Cheng
- Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065
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Gao XF, Wang SM, Peng RY, Gao YB, Li X, Dong HY, Ma JJ. [High power microwave radiation damages blood-testis barrier in rats]. Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue 2008; 14:579-582. [PMID: 18686375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of high power microwave (HPM) radiation on the structure and function of blood-testis barrier (BTB) in rats. METHODS One hundred and sixty-six male Wistar rats were treated by heart perfusion of lanthanum-glutaraldehyde solution and tail vein injection of evans blue (EB) at 6 h, 1, 3, 7 and 14 d after exposed to 0, 10, 30 and 100 mW/cm2 HPM radiation for 5 minutes, the structural change of BTB and distribution of lanthanum or EB observed through the light microscope, electron microscope and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). RESULTS Testicular interstitial edema, vascular congestion or hyperemia with accumulation of plasma proteins and red blood cells in the inner compartment of seminiferous tubules were observed after exposure to HPM. The above-mentioned pathological changes were aggravated at 1-7 d and relieved at 14 d after radiation, obviously more severe in the 30 and 100 mW/cm2 exposure groups than in the 10 mW/cm2. Both lanthanum precipitation and EB were deposited in the inner compartment. CONCLUSION HPM radiation may damage the structure and increase the permeability of BTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Fang Gao
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China
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McClusky LM. Cadmium accumulation and binding characteristics in intact Sertoli/germ cell units, and associated effects on stage-specific functionsin vitro: insights from a shark testis model. J Appl Toxicol 2008; 28:112-21. [PMID: 17557368 DOI: 10.1002/jat.1253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The increased human use of cadmium (Cd) and its increased occurrence in the environment is of concern. The testis is sensitive to Cd because of the steroid-mediated regulation of spermatogenesis, high levels of DNA synthesis and gene transcription, all of which varies in a stage-related manner. Validated techniques (acridine orange vital staining to detect apoptosis and dextran-rhodamine exclusion to assess blood-testis barrier function) were recently developed and the shark testis was proposed as an alternative model for assessing stage-specific functions in living testicular tissue and to study toxicant actions on spermatogenesis. The present paper shows that 109Cd accumulation and binding in vitro was stage-dependent (premeiotic, PrM > meiotic, M > postmeiotic, PoM), rapid and persisted in spermatocysts (intact germ cell/Sertoli cell units) 49 h after washout. In competitive binding analyses of all three spermatocyst stages, Hg, but not Zn, could replace bound 109Cd, suggesting that Cd binding was specific. These findings were associated with a biphasic apoptotic response in the PrM spermatocysts, which was maximal at 10 microm CdCl2 and 1 microm CdCl2 after 2 and 4 days in culture, respectively. Although Cd uptake in PoM cysts was more than 2-fold less than uptake in PrM cysts, the percentage dextran-rhodamine permeant PoM cysts was approximately 8-fold greater than in controls in the presence of both 10 microm CdCl2 and 30 microm CdCl2 after 4 days culture, indicating that blood-testis barrier function in PoM spermatocysts was compromised. These findings demonstrate that this model has utility for use in screening assays of environmental toxicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon M McClusky
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, P.O. Box 2034, Pretoria, South Africa.
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Abstract
PURPOSE Although the blood-testis barrier (BTB) is beneficial physiologically, it acts as an obstacle to chemotherapy. We wished to determine whether a triolein emulsion could alter the permeability of the BTB in cats. MATERIALS AND METHODS An emulsion of 0.05-mL triolein in 20 mL of saline was infused into the abdominal aorta just proximal to the branching of the renal arteries of each of 15 cats (embolic group). As controls, 12 cats were each similarly infused with 20 mL of normal saline (control group). Pre and postcontrast MR images were obtained 30 minutes and 2 hours after embolization. The images were analyzed for the presence and degree of contrast enhancement (qualitative analysis), and the contrast enhancement ratios (CER) derived from one testis of each animal were compared and statistically analyzed by the mixed linear model (quantitative analysis). RESULTS Contrast enhancement of the testis was observed in both groups at both time points, but it was more prominent in the embolic group. The CERs in the embolic group (0.63 at 30 minutes, 0.42 at 2 hours) were significantly higher than in the control group (0.36 at 30 minutes, 0.28 at 2 hours; P = 0.0001). In each group, the CERs at 2 hours were significantly lower than those at 30 minutes (P = 0.006). CONCLUSION Intra-arterial infusion of triolein emulsion increased the permeability of the BTB. This result may be useful in future studies of BTB disruptions caused by fat emulsions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Nam Kim
- Department of Radiology , Pusan National University College of Medicine, Pusan, South Korea
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