Sodium dodecylsulphate induces a breach in the blood-brain barrier and enables a West Nile virus variant to penetrate into mouse brain.
A novel and convenient assay was used to determine the effect of recombinant Interleukin-2 (IL-2) on the function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The assay is based on a variant of the West Nile virus, WN-25, which had lost its neuroinvasiveness but not its neurovirulence. WN-25, when injected intravenously, can cause the death of mice only if the function of the BBB is impaired. Sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS), a component in IL-2 excipient, was found to cause a short term breach in the BBB, enabling the penetration of viruses into the brain. Minimal amounts (30 ng/mouse) can induce a breach of about 10 min, which allows 0.1% of the injected virus to enter the brain. These findings demonstrate the possible use of SDS as a mean for intentional introduction of drugs into the brain, however they also call attention to the danger of using detergents as additives for drugs given intravenously.
Kobiler
D
D
Department of Virology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel.
Lustig
S
S
Gozes
Y
Y
Ben-Nathan
D
D
Akov
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014901:West Nile Fever; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*
D007376:Interleukin-2; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate