title: Pcbs and tight junction expression.
abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners exhibit a broad range of adverse biological effects including neurotoxicity. The mechanisms by which PCBs cause neurotoxic effects are still not completely understood. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a physical and metabolic barrier separating brain microenvironment from the peripheral circulation and is mainly composed of endothelial cells connected by tight junctions. We examined the effects of several highly-chlorinated PCB congeners on expression of tight junction proteins in human brain endothelial cells. Treatment for 24 h with selective PCB congeners disrupted expression of the cytosolic scaffold proteins of tight junctions, such as zonula occludens (ZO)-1, ZO-2, and AF6. In contrast, PCB exposure did not alter expression of integral membrane proteins, junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A), and claudin-1. Based on these data, we suggest that PCB-mediated selective alterations of tight junction protein expression may contribute to their neurotoxic effects in the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neuroscience and Vascular Biology Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536.
authors.forename: Sung Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Eum
authors.forename: Ibolya E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: András
authors.forename: Pierre-Olivier
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Couraud
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hennig
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toborek