Fluid-phase endocytosis by primary cultures of bovine brain microvessel endothelial cell monolayers

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) fluid-phase endocytosis was examined in primary cultures of bovine brain microvessel endothelial cell (BMEC) monolayers. By fluorescence spectroscopy. Lucifer yellow (LY, a fluorescent, soluble molecule used as a marker for pinocytosis) accumulation by BMEC was observed to be linear over a concentration range of 0.05 to 1.0 mg/ml. Time-dependent uptake of LY exhibited curvilinear kinetics composed of an initially rapid uptake rate of 1338 ng of LY/mg protein per hour at 0.5 mg/ml LY. Within 20 min, the rate of LY accumulation slowed to a steady-state rate of 23 ng of LY/mg protein per hour. Accumulation of LY was inhibited in the presence of metabolic inhibitors, potassium cyanide or 2-deoxyglucose, and was decreased, but not completely inhibited, at 4 degrees. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that efflux of LY was very rapid with at least 80% of the accumulated LY being lost within 2 min and was not sensitive to low temperature. Only 3-5% of the LY initially accumulated by BMEC remained cell-associated after a 30-min chase. The calculated turnover of the endocytic compartment's total volume (per hour) is 8- to 20-fold less than values for fibroblasts and macrophages, respectively. We have interpreted these data to suggest that the efflux of most of the LY involves loss from a rapidly recycled compartment of finite volume, possibly caveolae, that had sequestered marker during accumulation and suggest that these results are consistent with the present understanding of BBB pinocytosis in vivo.