X-Message-Number: 9317
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 14:39:19 +0300 (MSK)
From: Eugene Leitl <>
Subject: ripped from Science-Week Part 3 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 15:58:32 -0600
From: Science-Week <>
To: 
Subject: Science-Week Part 3
[...]

18. CHARACTERIZATION OF AN IN VITRO BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER
The blood brain barrier is an extremely thin tissue barrier that
prevents many molecules and substances from free diffusion or
transport into brain tissues or cerebrospinal fluid from the
blood stream, brain interarterial fluid thus being separated from
circulatory blood. Endothelial cells are a variety of cells that
form flat layers (endothelia) lining the heart and vessels such
as blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. In general, dialysis is
any filtration process using a semipermeable membrane to separate
large molecules from small molecules based on their permeability
through the membrane. ... ... Duport et al (6 authors at Centre
Medical Universitaire Geneva, CH) report a new in vitro blood-
brain barrier involving organotypic slice cultures from the
central nervous system overlaid on endothelial cell monolayers
grown on permeable membranes, with morphological, electrophysio-
logical, and microdialysis approaches used to characterize the
model. Results indicate the in vitro model has characteristics
similar to the blood-brain barrier in situ. The authors suggest
that cocultures of organotypic slices and endothelial cell
monolayers are potentially powerful tools for studying
biochemical mechanisms regulating blood-brain barrier function
and drug delivery to the central nervous system.
QY: L. Stoppini mailto://
(Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. US 17 Feb 98)

[...]

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