assessment-blood-brain-barrier-permeability-intravenous-infusion-fitc

Assessment of Blood-brain Barrier Permeability by Intravenous Infusion of FITC-labeled Albumin in a Mouse Model of Neurodegenerative Disease

Disruption of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity is a common feature for different neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Although the interplay ...

IRCCS Neuromed

Morus alba is a promising phytomedicine cultivated in oriental countries that is extensively used to prevent and treat various cardiovascular problems. To date, despite its beneficial effects, the molecular mechanisms involved remain unclear. Thus, we investigate the vascular and haemodynamic effects of Morus alba extract in an experimental model focusing our attention on the molecular mechanisms involved.

Morus alba extract modulates blood pressure homeostasis through eNOS signaling.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, due to the concomitant disruption of the tight junctions (TJs), normally required for the maintenance of BBB function, and to the altered transport of molecules between blood and brain and vice-versa, has been suggested to significantly contribute to the development and progression of different brain disorders including Huntington's disease (HD). Although the detrimental consequence the BBB breakdown may have in the clinical settings, the timing of its alteration remains elusive for many neurodegenerative diseases. In this study we demonstrate for the first time that BBB disruption in HD is not confined to established symptoms, but occurs early in the disease progression. Despite the obvious signs of impaired BBB permeability were only detectable in concomitance with the onset of the disease, signs of deranged TJs integrity occur precociously in the disease and precede the onset of overt symptoms. To our perspective this finding may add a new dimension to the horizons of pathological mechanisms underlying this devastating disease, however much remains to be elucidated for understanding how specific BBB drug targets can be approached in the future.

Impairment of blood-brain barrier is an early event in R6/2 mouse model of Huntington Disease.

Endothelial dysfunction contributes significantly to the development of vascular diseases. However, a therapy able to reduce this derangement still needs to be identified. We evaluated the effects of pharmacological inhibition of Rac1, a small GTPase protein promoting oxidative stress, in human endothelial dysfunction.

Article	Year
Morus alba extract modulates blood pressure homeostasis through eNOS signaling. Molecular nutrition & food research\| PubMed ID: 27234065	2016
Impairment of blood-brain barrier is an early event in R6/2 mouse model of Huntington Disease. Scientific reports\| PubMed ID: 28117381	2017
Rac1 Pharmacological Inhibition Rescues Human Endothelial Dysfunction. Journal of the American Heart Association\| PubMed ID: 28246076	2017

Luca Capocci

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