title: Electroconvulsive stimulation transiently enhances the permeability of the rat blood-brain barrier and induces astrocytic changes.
abstract: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays important roles in both the physiological and pharmacological state of the brain. Transiently enhancing the permeability of the BBB may allow use of more types of medications for neuropsychiatric diseases. Several studies have demonstrated that seizures cause a transient decrease in BBB integrity. We studied the timing of BBB changes following seizures and the role of astrocytes in this process. Rats received 10 applications of electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS). They were then infused with sodium fluorescein, a fluorescent substance that rarely passes the BBB, via the inferior vena cava. After 120min of circulation, the amount of sodium fluorescein in the brain was measured by two methods in vivo fluorescence imaging (total radiant efficiency) and the brain concentration of sodium fluorescein. To assess any changes to the BBB, we measured S100Β in serum, which is a standard marker of BBB breakdown that is expressed by astrocytes. We also examined ultrastructural changes following ECS. Total radiant efficiency and the brain concentration of sodium fluorescein were significantly increased in treated rats compared to controls when sodium fluorescein was injected immediately after ECS but not when the injection was performed more than 15 min after ECS. Astrocytic endfeet showed swelling around brain capillaries following ECS. In conclusion, ECS transiently enhances the permeability of the BBB, which may be accompanied by changes in astrocytic endfeet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: masa110@juntendo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Clinical Research NHO Tottori Medical Center, Tottori, Japan; Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Kuerban
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bolati
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinjo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Life Structure, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ichimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.affiliation: Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry, Saint Patrick's University Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Declan M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: McLoughlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Heii
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000502:physiology*; D004597:Electroshock; D005260:Female; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009043:Motor Activity; D061848:Optical Imaging; D011897:Random Allocation; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit / Q000097:blood; D012640:Seizures / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; C579158:S100b protein, rat; D019793:Fluorescein
keywords: Astrocyte; BBB; Depression; ECT; Neurovascular unit; Tight junction