PDGFR-β restores blood-brain barrier functions in a mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia

Jie Shen*, Guihua Xu, Runxiu Zhu, Jun Yuan, Yoko Ishii, Takeru Hamashima, Takako Matsushima, Seiji Yamamoto, Yusuke Takatsuru, Junichi Nabekura, Masakiyo Sasahara

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

77 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFR-β) mediates the recruitment of vascular pericytes into ischemic lesion to restore the blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction, its mechanisms still remain elusive. Compared with control PDGFR-βfloxed/floxed mice (Floxed), postnatally induced systemic PDGFR-β knockout mice (Esr-KO) not only showed severe brain edema, neurologic functional deficits, decreased expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins, abundant endothelial transcytosis, and deformed TJs in the BBB, but also showed reduced expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) protein after photothrombotic middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). In endothelial-pericyte co-culture, an in vitro model of BBB, the increment in the barrier function of endothelial monolayer induced by pericyte co-culture was completely cancelled by silencing PDGFR-β gene expression in pericytes, and was additively improved by PDGFR-β and TGF-β receptor signals under hypoxia condition. Exogenous PDGF-BB increased the expression of p-Smad2/3, while anti-TGF-β1 antibody at least partially inhibited the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 after PDGF-BB treatment in vitro. Furthermore, pre-administration of TGF-β1 partially alleviated edema formation, neurologic dysfunction, and TJs reduction in Esr-KO mice after MCAO. Accordingly, PDGFR-β signalling, via TGF-β signalling, may be crucial for restoration of BBB integrity after cerebral ischemia and therefore represents a novel potential therapeutic target.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1501-1515
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
Volume39
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019/08/01

Keywords

  • Blood-brain barrier
  • cerebral ischemia
  • pericyte
  • platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta
  • transforming growth factor-β

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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