• Hang Yu, Ping Wang, Ping An, Yixue Xue, and Xue Yixue.
• Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China; Department of Physiology, Daqing Branch of Haerbin Medical University, Daqing 163319, China. xueyixue888@yahoo.com.cn
• J. Mol. Neurosci. 2012 Jan 1; 46 (1): 236-47.

AbstractThis study was performed to determine whether recombinant human angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) decreases the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion rats, whether Ang-1 opens the BBB by affecting tight junction associated proteins zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1), occludin and adherens junction protein vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin, and whether the protein kinase C (PKC)α/myosin light chain (MLC) signaling pathway involves in it. The rats were divided into eight groups randomly: (1) sham-operated group, (2) ischemia group, (3-5) ischemia-reperfusion (middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R) 12 h, 48 h, and 7 days) and 0.9% saline groups, (6-8) ischemia-reperfusion (MCAO/R 12 h, 48 h, and 7 days) and Ang-1 groups. The BBB permeability was assessed by Evans blue extravasation. The messenger RNA and protein expressions of ZO-1, occludin, and VE-cadherin were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunohistochemistry assays. The BBB permeability was significantly decreased after Ang-1 injection. The expressions of ZO-1, occludin, and VE-cadherin were increased after Ang-1 injection. These were in accordance with the results of immunohistochemistry assays. PKCα and phosphorylated MLC (p-MLC) expressions were decreased after Ang-1 injection. This study demonstrated that Ang-1 may decrease the permeability of BBB in MCAO/R rat by upregulation of ZO-1, occludin, and VE-cadherin. The decreased expressions of PKCα and p-MLC induced by Ang-1 also involved in this process.

40 keywords...

hide…