Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0038454 (stroke)
 147,016 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The tight junctions found between cerebral vascular endothelial cells form the basis of the blood-brain barrier. Breakdown of the blood-brain barrier is a feature of a variety of CNS pathologies that are characterized by extensive leucocyte recruitment, such as multiple sclerosis and stroke. The molecular mechanisms associated with opening of the blood-brain barrier and leucocyte recruitment in vivo are currently poorly understood. We have used an in vivo rat model to investigate the molecular response of the CNS endothelium to neutrophil adhesion and migration. Injection of interleukin-1 beta into the striatum of juvenile brains results in a neutrophil-dependent increase in vessel permeability at 4 h. Only a subset of blood vessels were associated with neutrophil recruitment. These particular vessels displayed an increase in phosphotyrosine staining, loss of the tight junctional proteins, occludin and zonula occludens-1, and apparent redistribution of the adherens junction protein vinculin. Examination of these vessels under the electron microscope indicated that the cell-cell adhesions in such vessels are morphologically different from normal junctions. This study provides the first direct evidence in vivo that leucocyte recruitment can trigger signal transduction cascades leading to junctional disorganization and blood-brain barrier breakdown. Our results have established an endothelial cell molecular profile associated with leucocyte-induced blood-brain barrier breakdown in vivo, and the relevance of different in vitro cell culture models may now be viewed more objectively.
 ...
PMID:Loss of the tight junction proteins occludin and zonula occludens-1 from cerebral vascular endothelium during neutrophil-induced blood-brain barrier breakdown in vivo. 969 30

The mechanisms leading to stroke in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) are not well understood. We tested the hypothesis that the endothelial tight junctions of the blood-brain barrier are altered in SHRSP prior to stroke. We investigated tight junctions in 13-week-old SHRSP, spontaneously hypertensive stroke-resistant rats (SHR) and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) by electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry. Ultrathin sections showed no difference in junction structure of cerebral capillaries from SHRSP, SHR and WKY, respectively. However, using freeze-fracturing, we observed that the blood-brain barrier specific distribution of tight junction particles between P- and E-face in WKY (58.7+/-3.6%, P-face; 41.2+/-5.59%, E-face) and SHR (53.2+/-19. 3%, P-face; 55.6+/-13.25%, E-face) was changed to an 89.4+/-9.9% predominant E-face association in cerebral capillaries from SHRSP. However, the expression of the tight junction molecules ZO-1, occludin, claudin-1 and claudin-5 was not changed in capillaries of SHRSP. Permeability of brain capillaries from SHRSP was not different compared to SHR and WKY using lanthanum nitrate as a tracer. In contrast, analysis of endothelial cell polarity by distribution of the glucose-1 transporter (Glut-1) revealed that its abluminal:luminal ratio was reduced from 4:1 in SHR and WKY to 1:1 in endothelial cells of cerebral capillaries of SHRSP. In summary, we demonstrate that early changes exist in cerebral capillaries from a genetic model of hypertension-associated stroke. We suggest that a disturbed fence function of the tight junctions in SHRSP blood-brain barrier endothelial cells may lead to subtle changes in polarity. These changes may contribute to the pathogenesis of stroke.
 ...
PMID:Structural alterations of tight junctions are associated with loss of polarity in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat blood-brain barrier endothelial cells. 1110 79

Cerebral microvessel endothelial cells that form the blood-brain barrier (BBB) have tight junctions (TJ) that are critical for maintaining brain homeostasis and low permeability. Both integral (claudin-1 and occludin) and membrane-associated zonula occluden-1 and -2 (ZO-1 and ZO-2) proteins combine to form these TJ complexes that are anchored to the cytoskeletal architecture (actin). Disruptions of the BBB have been attributed to hypoxic conditions that occur with ischemic stroke, pathologies of decreased perfusion, and high-altitude exposure. The effects of hypoxia and posthypoxic reoxygenation in cerebral microvasculature and corresponding cellular mechanisms involved in disrupting the BBB remain unclear. This study examined hypoxia and posthypoxic reoxygenation effects on paracellular permeability and changes in actin and TJ proteins using primary bovine brain microvessel endothelial cells (BBMEC). Hypoxia induced a 2.6-fold increase in [(14)C]sucrose, a marker of paracellular permeability. This effect was significantly reduced (~58%) with posthypoxic reoxygenation. After hypoxia and posthypoxic reoxygenation, actin expression was increased (1.4- and 2.3-fold, respectively). Whereas little change was observed in TJ protein expression immediately after hypoxia, a twofold increase in expression was seen with posthypoxic reoxygenation. Furthermore, immunofluorescence studies showed alterations in occludin, ZO-1, and ZO-2 protein localization during hypoxia and posthypoxic reoxygenation that correlate with the observed changes in BBMEC permeability. The results of this study show hypoxia-induced changes in paracellular permeability may be due to perturbation of TJ complexes and that posthypoxic reoxygenation reverses these effects.
 ...
PMID:Cerebral microvascular changes in permeability and tight junctions induced by hypoxia-reoxygenation. 1189 86

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) serves as a critical organ in the maintenance of central nervous system homeostasis and is disrupted in a number of neurological disorders, including stroke. We examined the effects of hypoxia/aglycemia on the expression and localization of tight junction proteins, and on the function of the BBB in an in vitro model system. A receptor-operated/store-operated calcium channel blocker, SKF 96365, was used to determine if calcium flux was important in mediating hypoxia/aglycemia effects on the BBB. Expression of the tight junction protein occludin increased after hypoxic/aglycemic stress when cells were exposed to SKF 96365; this was correlated with partial protection of membrane localization of occludin and inhibition of the hypoxia-induced increase in permeability. Actin expression was dramatically reduced by hypoxia/aglycemia. Treatment with SKF 96365 during hypoxic stress protected monolayer permeability of sucrose, but transendothelial electrical resistances decreased with exposure to hypoxic stress regardless of treatment. Therefore, the presence of occludin at the membrane is dependent in part on calcium-sensitive signaling cascades; this provides a target for therapeutic intervention to minimize BBB disruption after stroke.
 ...
PMID:Hypoxia/aglycemia alters expression of occludin and actin in brain endothelial cells. 1565 12

Stroke patients have increased levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a strong vasoconstrictor, in their plasma or cerebrospinal fluid. Previously, we showed high level of ET-1 mRNA expression in astrocytes after hypoxia/ischemia. It is unclear whether the contribution of ET-1 induction in astrocytes is protective or destructive in cerebral ischemia. Here, we generated a transgenic mouse model that overexpress ET-1 in astrocytes (GET-1) using the glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter to examine the role of astrocytic ET-1 in ischemic stroke by challenging these mice with transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Under normal condition, GET-1 mice showed no abnormality in brain morphology, cerebrovasculature, absolute cerebral blood flow, blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, and mean arterial blood pressure. Yet, GET-1 mice subjected to transient MCAO showed more severe neurologic deficits and increased infarct, which were partially normalized by administration of ABT-627 (ET(A) antagonist) 5 mins after MCAO. In addition, GET-1 brains exhibited more Evans blue extravasation and showed decreased endothelial occludin expression after MCAO, correlating with higher brain water content and increased cerebral edema. Aquaporin 4 expression was also more pronounced in astrocytic end-feet on blood vessels in GET-1 ipsilateral brains. Our current data suggest that astrocytic ET-1 has deleterious effects on water homeostasis, cerebral edema and BBB integrity, which contribute to more severe ischemic brain injury.
 ...
PMID:Endothelin-1 overexpression leads to further water accumulation and brain edema after middle cerebral artery occlusion via aquaporin 4 expression in astrocytic end-feet. 1581 85

The chemokine CCL2 is considered as one of the main effectors driving postischemic infiltration of monocytes into the brain parenchyma. New experimental data, however, suggest that CCL2 could also participate in blood-brain barrier (BBB) 'opening' during the transmigration of monocytes. The current study examines the role of CCL2 in regulating BBB permeability after ischemia in vitro. To address this issue, an in vitro BBB model (coculture of astrocytes and brain endothelial cells) was subjected to 5 h of oxygen glucose deprivation, followed by reoxgenation (in vitro ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)) for 0 to 48 h. During reperfusion, there was a biphasic enhancement of barrier permeability, with a 200-fold increase in barrier permeability to FITC-albumin at 6 h and a further period of disruption around 24 h. The latter coincided with increased secretion of CCL2 by both astrocytes and brain endothelial cells and increased levels of the CCL2 receptor, CCR2. Applying antisense oligonucleotide or neutralizing antibody to block CCL2 significantly decreased I/R-induced enhancement of BBB permeability (approximately twofold) and redistribution of tight-junction (TJ) proteins (occludin, zonula occluden-1, 2, claudin-5). Similarly, absence of CCR2 from endothelial cells caused stabilization of TJ complexes and decreased the permeability of brain endothelial barrier during in vitro I/R. These data suggest CCL2/CCR2 has an important role in regulating brain endothelial permeability and might be a potential novel therapeutic target for stroke.
 ...
PMID:Effects of the chemokine CCL2 on blood-brain barrier permeability during ischemia-reperfusion injury. 1619 92

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic system which maintains brain homeostasis and limits CNS penetration via interactions of transmembrane and intracellular proteins. Inflammatory pain (IP) is a condition underlying several diseases with known BBB perturbations, including stroke, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. Exploring the underlying pathology of chronic IP, we demonstrated alterations in BBB paracellular permeability with correlating changes in tight junction (TJ) proteins: occludin and claudin-5. The present study examines the IP-induced molecular changes leading to a loss in functional BBB integrity. IP was induced by injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) into the plantar surface of the right hindpaw of female Sprague-Dawley rats. Inflammation and hyperalgesia were confirmed, and BBB paracellular permeability was assessed by in situ brain perfusion of [14C]sucrose (paracellular diffusion marker). The permeability of the BBB was significantly increased at 24 and 72 h post-CFA. Analysis of the TJ proteins, which control the paracellular pathway, demonstrated decreased claudin-5 expression at 24 h, and an increase at 48 and 72 h post-injection. Occludin expression was significantly decreased 72 h post-CFA. Expression of junction adhesion molecule-1 (JAM-1) increased 48 h and decreased by 72 h post-CFA. Confocal microscopy demonstrated continuous expression of both occludin and JAM-1, each co-localizing with ZO-1. The increased claudin-5 expression was not limited to the junction. These results provide evidence that chronic IP causes dramatic alterations in specific cytoarchitectural proteins and demonstrate alterations in molecular properties during CFA, resulting in significant changes in BBB paracellular permeability.
 ...
PMID:Biphasic cytoarchitecture and functional changes in the BBB induced by chronic inflammatory pain. 1700 22

Effective stroke therapies require recanalization of occluded cerebral blood vessels; however, early reperfusion can cause BBB (blood-brain barrier) injury, leading to cerebral oedema and/or devastating brain haemorrhage. These complications of early reperfusion, which result from excess production of ROS (reactive oxygen species), significantly limit the benefits of stroke therapies. Here, we summarize some of the findings that lead to the development of a novel animal model that facilitates identification of specific free radical-associated components of the reperfusion injury process and allows therapeutic interventions to be assessed. In this model, KO (knockout) mice containing 50% activity of the mitochondrial antioxidant manganese-SOD (superoxide dismutase) (SOD2-KO) undergo transient focal ischaemia followed by reperfusion. These animals have delayed (>24 h) BBB breakdown associated with activation of matrix metalloproteinase-9, inflammation and a high brain haemorrhage rate. These adverse consequences are absent from wild-type littermates, SOD2 overexpressors and minocycline-treated SOD2-KO animals. In addition, using microvessel isolations following in vivo ischaemia/reperfusion, we were able to show that the tight junction membrane protein, occludin, is an early and specific target in ROS-mediated microvascular injury. This new model is ideal for studying ischaemia/reperfusion-induced vascular injury and secondary brain damage and offers a unique opportunity to evaluate free radical-based neurovascular protective strategies.
 ...
PMID:A new approach for the investigation of reperfusion-related brain injury. 1707 20

Hypertension is involved in the exacerbation of stroke. It is unclear how blood-brain barrier (BBB) tight-junction (TJ) and ion transporter proteins critical for maintaining brain homeostasis contribute to cerebral infarction during hypertension development. In the present study, we investigated cerebral infarct volume following permanent 4-h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and characterized the expression of BBB TJ and ion transporter proteins in brain microvessels of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) compared with age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats at 5 wk (prehypertension), 10 wk (early-stage hypertension), and 15 wk (later-stage hypertension) of age. Hypertensive SHR show increased infarct volume following MCAO compared with WKY control rats. BBB TJ and ion transporter proteins, known to contribute to edema and fluid volume changes in the brain, show differential protein expression patterns during hypertension development. Western blot analysis of TJ protein zonula occludens-2 (ZO-2) showed decreased expression, while ion transporter, Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 1 (NHE-1), was markedly increased in hypertensive SHR. Expression of TJ proteins ZO-1, occludin, actin, claudin-5, and Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) cotransporter remain unaffected in SHR compared with control. Selective inhibition of NHE-1 using dimethylamiloride significantly attenuated ischemia-induced infarct volume in hypertensive SHR following MCAO, suggesting a novel role for NHE-1 in the brain in the regulation of ischemia-induced infarct volume in SHR.
 ...
PMID:Comparative changes in the blood-brain barrier and cerebral infarction of SHR and WKY rats. 1723 53

Glutamate levels increase dramatically in cerebral ischemia and stroke. This may lead to opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and induce further brain damage. Because endothelial tight junctions are critical elements of the BBB integrity, the aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of glutamate-induced alterations of the tight-junction protein occludin in cultured brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs). Transient exposure to glutamate resulted in cellular redistribution of occludin, followed by a decrease in the total level of this protein and diminished barrier function of BMECs. Inhibition of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) or alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate/kainate (AMPA/KA) receptors attenuated glutamate-induced changes in occludin redistribution but not in the total protein levels. Treatment with glutamate also increased tyrosine phosphorylation and decreased threonine phosphorylation of occludin. Inhibition of the NMDA receptors by MK-801 partially protected against glutamate-induced elevation of occludin tyrosine phosphorylation. In addition, pretreatment with MK-801-attenuated glutamate-mediated disruption of endothelial barrier function. Blocking of the AMPA/KA receptors by 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2.3-dione (DNQX) protected against hypophosphorylation of threonine residues of occludin; however, it did not affect disruption of endothelial integrity. These findings indicate the opposite effects of the NMDA and AMPA/KA receptors on occludin phosphorylation and disruption of the BBB functions.
 ...
PMID:The NMDA and AMPA/KA receptors are involved in glutamate-induced alterations of occludin expression and phosphorylation in brain endothelial cells. 1724 19


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>