Kafkas Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi 2018 , Vol 24 , Issue 3
In vitro Model of the Blood-brain Barrier Established by Co-culture of Primary Sheep Cerebral Microvascular Endothelial and Astrocyte Cells
Jingjing REN1, Mingwei YANG1, Genqiang YAN1, Jianjun JIANG1, Pengyan WANG1
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, 832003, P. R. CHINA DOI : 10.9775/kvfd.2017.19003 Blood-brain barrier (BBB) characteristics are induced and maintained by cross-talk between brain microvessel endothelial cells and neighbouring elements of the neurovascular unit. It plays a primary role in a selective diffusion barrier at the level of the cerebral microvascular endothelium. Here, we have developed and characterized an in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier by seeding primary brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and astrocyte cells (ACs) from sheep on a polyester Transwell cell culture membrane with 0.4-μm pores, and conducted transepithelial electrical resistance measurements (TEER), leakage tests and assays for the permeability of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The results of TEER and 4-h leakage assay showed that the new syngeneic BBB model had a characteristic of BBB in vivo. The HRP permeability test showed that the BBB model had good barrier function. Results showed that our model may be a valuable tool in the study of the mechanisms of brain invasion mediated by internalins of Listeria monocytogenes. Keywords : Blood-brain barrier, Astrocytes, Brain microvascular endothelial cells, Co-culture, In vitro BBB model, Sheep