title: Caveolae: molecular insights and therapeutic targets for stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Caveolae are specialized plasma membrane micro-invaginations of most mammalian cell types. The organization and function of caveolae are carried out by their coat proteins, caveolins and adaptor proteins, cavins. Caveolae/caveolins physically interact with membrane-associated signaling molecules and function in cholesterol incorporation, signaling transduction and macromolecular transport/permeability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recent investigations have implicated a check-and-balance role of caveolae in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia. Caveolin knockout mice displayed exacerbated ischemic injury, whereas caveolin peptide exerted remarkable protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury. This review attempts to provide a comprehensive synopsis of how caveolae/caveolins modulate blood-brain barrier permeability, pro-survival signaling, angiogenesis and neuroinflammation, and how this may contribute to a better understanding of the participation of caveolae in ischemic cascade. The role of caveolin in the preconditioning-induced tolerance against ischemia is also discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caveolae represent a novel target for cerebral ischemia. It remains open how to manipulate caveolin expression in a practical way to recapitulate the beneficial therapeutic outcomes. Caveolin peptides and associated antagomirs may be efficacious and deserve further investigations for their potential benefits for stroke.
authors: Department of Neurology, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University , Nanjing 210002 , China yeruid@gmail.com.
authors: Lili
authors: L
authors: Xu
authors: Ruibing
authors: R
authors: Guo
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Xie
authors: Minmin
authors: M
authors: Ma
authors: Ruidong
authors: R
authors: Ye
authors: Xinfeng
authors: X
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D021941:Caveolae / Q000378:metabolism*; D022461:Caveolins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000503:physiopathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D022461:Caveolins
keywords: caveolae; caveolin; cerebral ischemia; pro-survival signaling; stroke