| abstract |
An in vitro model of a blood-brain barrier comprising a porous solid support upon which is disposed an essentially confluent monolayer of brain microvascular endothelial cells in contact with agents that elevate effective cyclic AMP concentrations in endothelial cells, with or without astrocyte-derived or endothelial cell-derived conditioned medium or the equivalent so that high electrical resistance tight junctions are formed between endothelial cells, and endothelial cells exhibit peripheral phalloidin staining and E-cadherin. Also disclosed is the use of agents that reduce effective cyclic AMP concentrations or interfere with the functioning of cyclic AMP or increase effective cyclic GMP concentrations to open up blood-brain barriers in vitro and in vivo, so that drugs normally excluded by such barriers may substantially penetrate such barriers. Also disclosed are uses of the model to screen for reagents with clinical utility in disorders involving brain endothelial cells. |