Searching the Resource Information Network

Our searching services are busy right now. Please try again later

  • Register
X
Forgot Password

If you have forgotten your password you can enter your email here and get a temporary password sent to your email.

X

Leaving Community

Are you sure you want to leave this community? Leaving the community will revoke any permissions you have been granted in this community.

No
Yes

Potentiating a non-neuronal cardiac cholinergic system reinforces the functional integrity of the blood brain barrier associated with systemic anti-inflammatory responses.

Shino Oikawa | Yuko Kai | Asuka Mano | Shuei Sugama | Naoko Mizoguchi | Masayuki Tsuda | Kazuyo Muramoto | Yoshihiko Kakinuma
Brain, behavior, and immunity | 2019

We previously reported that the heart-specific choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) gene overexpressing mice (ChAT tg) show specific phenotypes including ischemic tolerance and the CNS stress tolerance. In the current study, we focused on molecular mechanisms responsible for systemic and localized anti-inflammatory phenotypes of ChAT tg. ChAT tg were resistant to systemic inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharides due to an attenuated cytokine response. In addition, ChAT tg, originally equipped with less reactive Kupffer cells, were refractory to brain cold injury, with decreased blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability and reduced inflammation. This is because ChAT tg brain endothelial cells expressed more claudin-5, and their astrocytes were less reactive, causing decreased hypertrophy. Moreover, reconstruction of the BBB integrity in vitro confirmed the consolidation of ChAT tg. ChAT tg were also resistant to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) neuronal toxicity due to lower mortality rate and neuronal loss of substantia nigra. Additionally, ChAT tg subjected to MPTP showed attenuated BBB disruption, as evident from reduced sodium fluorescein levels in the brain parenchyma. The activated central cholinergic pathway of ChAT tg lead to anti-convulsive effects like vagus nerve stimulation. However, DSP-4, a noradrenergic neuron-selective neurotoxin against the CNS including the locus ceruleus, abrogated the beneficial phenotype and vagotomy attenuated expression of claudin-5, suggesting the link between the cholinergic pathway and BBB function. Altogether, these findings indicate that ChAT tg possess an anti-inflammatory response potential, associated with upregulated claudin-5, leading to the consolidation of BBB integrity. These characteristics protect ChAT tg against systemic and localized inflammatory pathological disorders, which targets the CNS.

Pubmed ID: 31176726

Research resources used in this publication

None found

Additional research tools detected in this publication

None found

Antibodies used in this publication

None found

Associated grants

None

Publication data is provided by the National Library of Medicine ® and PubMed ®. Data is retrieved from PubMed ® on a weekly schedule. For terms and conditions see the National Library of Medicine Terms and Conditions.

We have not found any resources mentioned in this publication.