Choroid plexus, located in brain ventricles, is the site of blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier that contains endothelial cells and an epithelial monolayer separated by stroma. We established a two-cell-type model of the human choroid plexus consisting of immortalized endothelial cells (iHCPEnC) and epithelial papilloma (HIBCPP) cells grown on opposite sides of filter supports. In this protocol, we describe the preparation of this model, the measurement of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), and immunofluorescence imaging-based analysis to determine the barrier function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Gram-negative diplococcus , also called meningococcus, exclusively infects humans and can cause meningitis, a severe disease that can lead to the death of the afflicted individuals. To cause meningitis, the bacteria have to enter the central nervous system (CNS) by crossing one of the barriers protecting the CNS from entry by pathogens. These barriers are represented by the blood-brain barrier separating the blood from the brain parenchyma and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barriers at the choroid plexus and the meninges.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNon-typeable (NTHI) is a pathogen of the human respiratory tract causing the majority of invasive infections. Severe invasive infections such as septicemia and meningitis occur rarely, but the lack of a protecting vaccine and the increasing antibiotic resistance of NTHI impede treatment and emphasize its relevance as a potential meningitis causing pathogen. Meningitis results from pathogens crossing blood-brain barriers and invading the immune privileged central nervous system (CNS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) plays important roles during the transport of substances into the brain, the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, and neuro-immunological processes. Along these lines, transmigration of granulocytes across the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier (BCSFB) is a hallmark of inflammatory events in the CNS. Choroid plexus (CP) epithelial cells are an important tool to generate in vitro models of the BCSFB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Gram-negative bacterium Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) can commensally colonize the upper respiratory tract, but also cause life threatening disease including epiglottitis, sepsis and meningitis. The H.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpithelial human blood group antigens (HBGAs) on O-glycans play roles in pathogen binding and the initiation of infection, while similar structures on secretory mucins exert protective functions. These double-faced features of O-glycans in infection and innate immunity are reviewed based on two instructive examples of bacterial and viral pathogens. represents a class 1 carcinogen in the human stomach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe epithelial cells of the choroid plexus (CP), located in the ventricular system of the brain, form the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB). The BCSFB functions in separating the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the blood and restricting the molecular exchange to a minimum extent. An in vitro model of the BCSFB is based on cells derived from a human choroid plexus papilloma (HIBCPP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The human-specific, Gram-negative bacterium Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis worldwide. The blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB), which is constituted by the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus (CP), has been suggested as one of the potential entry sites of Nm into the CSF and can contribute to the inflammatory response during infectious diseases of the brain. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in mediating signal transduction caused by the pathogens.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman milk oligosaccharides help to prevent infectious diseases in breastfed infants. Larger scale testing, particularly in animal models and human clinical studies, is still limited due to shortened availability of more complex oligosaccharides. The purpose of this study was to evaluate 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) and 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL) synthesized by whole-cell biocatalysis for their biological activity in vitro.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bacterial invasion through the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) during bacterial meningitis causes secretion of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines followed by the recruitment of leukocytes into the CNS. In this study, we analyzed the cellular and molecular mechanisms of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) and monocyte transepithelial transmigration (TM) across the BCSFB after bacterial infection.
Methods: Using an inverted transwell filter system of human choroid plexus papilloma cells (HIBCPP), we studied leukocyte TM rates, the migration route by immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy and focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy, the secretion of cytokines/chemokines by cytokine bead array and posttranslational modification of the signal regulatory protein (SIRP) α via western blot.
Enterovirus is the most common pathogen causing viral meningitis especially in children. Besides the blood-brain barrier (BBB) the choroid plexus, which forms the blood-cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF) barrier (BCSFB), was shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of enteroviral meningitis. In a human in vitro model of the BCSFB consisting of human choroid plexus papilloma cells (HIBCPP), the permissiveness of plexus epithelial cells for Echovirus 30 (EV30) was analyzed by immunoblotting and quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcute bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening disease in humans. Discussed as entry sites for pathogens into the brain are the blood-brain and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB). Although human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) constitute a well established human in vitro model for the blood-brain barrier, until now no reliable human system presenting the BCSFB has been developed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Gram-positive zoonotic bacterium Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is responsible for a wide range of diseases including meningitis in pigs and humans. The blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier is constituted by the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus, which execute barrier function also after bacteria have entered the central nervous system (CNS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Immunol
May 2010
Knowing the inherent stimulatory properties of the lipid moiety of bacterial lipoproteins, we first hypothesized that Brucella abortus outer membrane protein (Omp)16 lipoprotein would be able to elicit a protective immune response without the need of external adjuvants. In this study, we demonstrate that Omp16 administered by the i.p.
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