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Abubaker M, Greaney A, Newport D, Mulvihill JJE. Characterization of primary human leptomeningeal cells in 2D culture. Heliyon 2024; 10:e26744. [PMID: 38434413 PMCID: PMC10906397 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Maintaining the integrity of brain barriers is critical for a healthy central nervous system. While extensive research has focused on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) of the brain vasculature and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) of the choroid plexus, the barriers formed by the meninges have not received as much attention. These membranes create a barrier between the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), as well as between CSF and blood. Recent studies have revealed that this barrier has been implicated in the development of neurological and immunological disorders. In order to gain a deeper comprehension of the functioning and significance of the meningeal barriers, sophisticated models of these barriers, need to be created. The aim of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of commercially available primary leptomeningeal cells (LMCs) that form the meningeal barriers, in a cultured environment, including their morphology, proteomics, and barrier properties, and to determine whether passaging of these cells affects their behaviour in comparison to their in vivo state. The results indicate that higher passage numbers significantly alter the morphology and protein localisation and expression of the LMCs. Furthermore, the primary cell culture co-stained for S100A6 and E-cadherin suggesting it is a co-culture of both pial and arachnoid cells. Additionally, cultured LMCs showed an increase in vimentin and cytokeratin expression and a lack of junctional proteins localisation on the cell membrane, which could suggest loss of epithelial properties due to culture, preventing barrier formation. This study shows that the LMCs may be a co-culture of pial and arachnoid cells, that the optimal LMC passage range is between passages two and five for experimentation and that the primary human LMCs form a weak barrier when in culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mannthalah Abubaker
- Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
- School of Engineering, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Aisling Greaney
- Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
- School of Engineering, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
| | - David Newport
- Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
- School of Engineering, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
| | - John J E Mulvihill
- Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
- School of Engineering, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
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Chen Y, He Y, Han J, Wei W, Chen F. Blood-brain barrier dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease: associations, pathogenic mechanisms, and therapeutic potential. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1258640. [PMID: 38020775 PMCID: PMC10679748 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1258640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ), hyperphosphorylation of tau, and neuroinflammation in the brain. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits solutes from circulating blood from entering the brain, which is essential for neuronal functioning. Focusing on BBB function is important for the early detection of AD and in-depth study of AD pathogenic mechanisms. However, the mechanism of BBB alteration in AD is still unclear, which hinders further research on therapeutics that target the BBB to delay the progression of AD. The exact timing of the vascular abnormalities in AD and the complex cause-and-effect relationships remain uncertain. Thus, it is necessary to summarize and emphasize this process. First, in this review, the current evidence for BBB dysfunction in AD is summarized. Then, the interrelationships and pathogenic mechanisms between BBB dysfunction and the risk factors for AD, such as Aβ, tau, neuroinflammation, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype and aging, were analyzed. Finally, we discuss the current status and future directions of therapeutic AD strategies targeting the BBB. We hope that these summaries or reviews will allow readers to better understand the relationship between the BBB and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Chen
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Sixth People’s Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanfang He
- Department of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Jinling Han
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Sixth People’s Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenyan Wei
- Department of Gerontology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Neurology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
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Aging decreases docosahexaenoic acid transport across the blood-brain barrier in C57BL/6J mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281946. [PMID: 36795730 PMCID: PMC9934487 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Nutrients are actively taken up by the brain via various transporters at the blood-brain barrier (BBB). A lack of specific nutrients in the aged brain, including decreased levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is associated with memory and cognitive dysfunction. To compensate for decreased brain DHA, orally supplied DHA must be transported from the circulating blood to the brain across the BBB through transport carriers, including major facilitator superfamily domain-containing protein 2a (MFSD2A) and fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5) that transport esterified and non-esterified DHA, respectively. Although it is known that the integrity of the BBB is altered during aging, the impact of aging on DHA transport across the BBB has not been fully elucidated. We used 2-, 8-, 12-, and 24-month-old male C57BL/6 mice to evaluate brain uptake of [14C]DHA, as the non-esterified form, using an in situ transcardiac brain perfusion technique. Primary culture of rat brain endothelial cells (RBECs) was used to evaluate the effect of siRNA-mediated MFSD2A knockdown on cellular uptake of [14C]DHA. We observed that the 12- and 24-month-old mice exhibited significant reductions in brain uptake of [14C]DHA and decreased MFSD2A protein expression in the brain microvasculature compared with that of the 2-month-old mice; nevertheless, FABP5 protein expression was up-regulated with age. Brain uptake of [14C]DHA was inhibited by excess unlabeled DHA in 2-month-old mice. Transfection of MFSD2A siRNA into RBECs decreased the MFSD2A protein expression levels by 30% and reduced cellular uptake of [14C]DHA by 20%. These results suggest that MFSD2A is involved in non-esterified DHA transport at the BBB. Therefore, the decreased DHA transport across the BBB that occurs with aging could be due to age-related down-regulation of MFSD2A rather than FABP5.
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Zwart SR, Mulavara AP, Williams TJ, George K, Smith SM. The role of nutrition in space exploration: Implications for sensorimotor, cognition, behavior and the cerebral changes due to the exposure to radiation, altered gravity, and isolation/confinement hazards of spaceflight. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:307-331. [PMID: 33915203 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Multi-year crewed space exploration missions are now on the horizon; therefore, it is important that we understand and mitigate the physiological effects of spaceflight. The spaceflight hazards-radiation, isolation, confinement, and altered gravity-have the potential to contribute to neuroinflammation and produce long-term cognitive and behavioral effects-while the fifth hazard, distance from earth, limits capabilities to mitigate these risks. Accumulated evidence suggests that nutrition has an important role in optimizing cognition and reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases caused by neuroinflammation. Here we review the nutritional perspective of how these spaceflight hazards affect the astronaut's brain, behavior, performance, and sensorimotor function. We also assess potential nutrient/nutritional countermeasures that could prevent or mitigate spaceflight risks and ensure that crewmembers remain healthy and perform well during their missions. Just as history has taught us the importance of nutrition in terrestrial exploration, we must understand the role of nutrition in the development and mitigation of spaceflight risks before humans can successfully explore beyond low-Earth orbit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara R Zwart
- Univerity of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
| | | | - Thomas J Williams
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Mail Code SK3, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX, 77058, USA
| | - Kerry George
- KBR, 2400 E NASA Parkway, Houston, TX, 77058, USA
| | - Scott M Smith
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Mail Code SK3, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX, 77058, USA
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Segarra M, Aburto MR, Acker-Palmer A. Blood-Brain Barrier Dynamics to Maintain Brain Homeostasis. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:393-405. [PMID: 33423792 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic platform for exchange of substances between the blood and the brain parenchyma, and it is an essential functional gatekeeper for the central nervous system (CNS). While it is widely recognized that BBB disruption is a hallmark of several neurovascular pathologies, an aspect of the BBB that has received somewhat less attention is the dynamic modulation of BBB tightness to maintain brain homeostasis in response to extrinsic environmental factors and physiological changes. In this review, we summarize how BBB integrity adjusts in critical stages along the life span, as well as how BBB permeability can be altered by common stressors derived from nutritional habits, environmental factors and psychological stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Segarra
- Neuro and Vascular Guidance, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS) and Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Maria R Aburto
- Neuro and Vascular Guidance, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS) and Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Amparo Acker-Palmer
- Neuro and Vascular Guidance, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS) and Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Stover PJ, Garza C, Durga J, Field MS. Emerging Concepts in Nutrient Needs. J Nutr 2020; 150:2593S-2601S. [PMID: 33000157 PMCID: PMC7527270 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary reference intakes (DRIs) are quantitative, nutrient intake-based standards used for assessing the diets and specific nutrient intakes of healthy individuals and populations and for informing national nutrition policy and nutrition programs. Because nutrition needs vary by age, sex, and physiological state, DRIs are often specified for healthy subgroups within a population. Diet is known to be the leading modifiable risk factor for chronic disease, and the prevalence of chronic disease is growing in all populations globally and across all subgroups, but especially in older adults. It is known that nutrient needs can change in some chronic disease and other clinical states. Disease states and/or disease treatment can cause whole-body or tissue-specific nutrient depletion or excess, resulting in the need for altered nutrient intakes. In other cases, disease-related biochemical dysfunction can result in a requirement for a nonessential nutrient, rendering it as conditionally essential, or result in toxicity for a food component at levels usually tolerated by healthy people, as seen in inborn errors of metabolism. Here we summarize examples from a growing body of literature of disease-altering nutrient requirements, supporting the need to give more consideration to special nutrient requirements in disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cutberto Garza
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Jane Durga
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Martha S Field
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
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Travica N, Ried K, Hudson I, Sali A, Scholey A, Pipingas A. The Contribution of Plasma and Brain Vitamin C on Age and Gender-Related Cognitive Differences: A Mini-Review of the Literature. Front Integr Neurosci 2020; 14:47. [PMID: 32973470 PMCID: PMC7471743 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2020.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that sex differences in the brain may contribute to gender-related behavioral differences, including cognitive function. Literature has revealed gender dimorphisms in cognitive function between males and females. Additionally, several risk factors associated with cognitive decline depend on chronological age. It is well recognized that the process of aging is associated with a decline in cognitive ability and brain function. Various explanations may account for these gender-related cognitive differences and age-associated cognitive changes. Recent investigations have highlighted the importance of vitamin C in maintaining brain health and its association with cognitive function in both cognitively intact and impaired cohorts. The present review explores previous literature that has evaluated differences in plasma/brain vitamin C between genders and during aging. It then assesses whether these age and gender-related differences may affect the relationship between plasma/brain vitamin C and cognition. The purpose of this review was to examine the evidence for a link between plasma/brain vitamin C and cognition and the impact of gender and age on this relationship. Epidemiological studies have frequently shown higher vitamin C plasma concentrations in women. Similarly, aging has been systematically associated with reductions in plasma vitamin C levels. A range of animal studies has demonstrated potential gender and age-related differences in vitamin C brain distribution and utilization. The reviewed literature suggests that gender differences in plasma and brain vitamin C may potentially contribute to differences in gender-associated cognitive ability, particularly while females are pre-menopausal. Additionally, we can propose that age-associated differences in plasma and brain vitamin C may be potentially linked to age-associated cognitive differences, with older cohorts appearing more vulnerable to experience declines in plasma vitamin C concentrations alongside compromised vitamin C brain regulation. This review encourages future investigations to take into account both gender and age when assessing the link between plasma vitamin C concentrations and cognitive function. Further large scale investigations are required to assess whether differences in cognitive function between genders and age groups may be causally attributed to plasma vitamin C status and brain distribution and utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaj Travica
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- The National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Karin Ried
- The National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Discipline of General Practice, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Torrens University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Irene Hudson
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, Mathematical Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Mathematical and Physical Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Avni Sali
- The National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew Scholey
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew Pipingas
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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