BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion is associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and NADPH oxidases are important sources of ROS. We hypothesized that NADPH oxidases mediate blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and contribute to tissue damage in ischemia/reperfusion. METHODS Ischemia was induced by filament occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in mice for 2...

Cavitation events seeded by microbubbles have been previously reported to be associated with MR- or fluorescent-contrast enhancement after focused ultrasound (FUS)-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening. However, it is still unknown whether bubble activity can be correlated with the reversibility (the duration of opening and the likelihood of safe reinstatement) and the permeability of opene...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Acute phase C-reactive protein (CRP), elevated in obesity and inflammation, is a major binding protein for leptin. It is thought that CRP contributes to leptin resistance by preventing leptin from crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Here we determined how CRP interacts with the BBB and whether it deters leptin from reaching CNS targets. METHODS BBB permeability, compartmen...

We reported previously that an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, telmisartan, improved cognitive decline with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptoractivation; however, the detailed mechanisms are unclear. Enhanced blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability with alteration of tight junctions is suggested to be related to diabetes mellitus. Therefore, we examined the possibility that telmi...

BACKGROUND Blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption aggravates brain injury induced by intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH); however, the mechanisms of BBB damage caused by ICH remain elusive. Mfsd2a (major facilitator superfamily domain containing 2a) has been known to play an essential role in BBB formation and function. In this study, we investigated the role and underlying mechanisms of Mfsd2a in BBB...

The possibility of nanoparticle (NP) uptake to the human central nervous system is a major concern. Recent reports showed that in animal models, nanoparticles (NPs) passed through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). For the safe use of NPs, it is imperative to evaluate the permeability of NPs through the BBB. Here we used a commercially available in vitro BBB model to evaluate the permeability of NP...

We reported previously that an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, telmisartan, improved cognitive decline with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ activation; however, the detailed mechanisms are unclear. Enhanced blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability with alteration of tight junctions is suggested to be related to diabetes mellitus. Therefore, we examined the possibility that te...

The role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in determining lesion distribution was assessed in an atypical model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced in C3H/HeJ mice by immunisation with peptide 190-209 of myelin proteolipid protein, which can result in two distinct types of EAE, each with distinct lesion distribution. Areas of the BBB showing constitutively greater permeabi...

Although hypertension has been implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular disease, its role in inflammatory responses, especially in brain, remains unclear. In this study we found key mechanisms by which angiotensin II (AngII) mediates cerebral microvascular inflammation. C57BL/6 male mice were subjected to slow-pressor dose of AngII infusion using osmotic mini-pumps at a rate of 400 ng/kg/min ...

OBJECTIVE Thrombin mediates the life-threatening cerebral edema that occurs after intracerebral hemorrhage. Therefore, we examined the mechanisms of thrombin-induced injury to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and subsequent mechanisms of BBB repair. METHODS Intracerebroventricular injection of thrombin (20U) was used to model intraventricular hemorrhage in adult rats. RESULTS Thrombin reduced ...