Glial cells influence membrane-associated enzyme activity at the blood-brain barrier.
Glial cells have been shown to influence several cerebral endothelial cell properties in vitro. A situation similar to the endothelial-astrocyte relationship existing at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can be produced by growing cultured cerebral endothelium on one side of a filter and glial cells on the other in an enclosed double chamber. In this setting membrane-associated reaction product on the cerebral endothelial cell for both Na+,K+-ATPase and non-specific alkaline phosphatase was markedly increased when the endothelial cells were co-cultured with glial cells. In addition, the distribution of reaction product on the cerebral endothelial cell membrane was similar to that reported in vivo. These observations support a glial influence on enzyme activity at the BBB.
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004727:Endothelium / Q000201:enzymology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000032:analysis
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase