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Changes in blood-brain barrier function modify the neuroendocrine response to circulating substances
D Jezová1, B B Johansson, Z Oprsalová
1Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.
Neuroendocrinology
|April 1, 1989
Summary
Transient increases in blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability allow blood-borne substances to influence hormone release. This study demonstrates how altered BBB function impacts neuroendocrine responses, a previously overlooked phenomenon.
Area of Science:
- Neuroendocrinology
- Neuropharmacology
- Physiology
Background:
- Transient increases in blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability occur in various physiological and pathological states.
- The impact of altered BBB permeability on the central control of hormone release is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if blood-borne substances can reach brain sites and influence hormone release when the BBB permeability is increased.
- To explore the role of BBB function in neuroendocrine responses.
Main Methods:
- Developed an experimental model of BBB opening using protamine sulfate in conscious rats.
- Administered domperidone, a dopaminergic blocker, and apomorphine to assess ACTH release under varying BBB permeability conditions.
Main Results:
- Domperidone inhibited apomorphine-induced ACTH release when BBB permeability was elevated.
- This inhibition was not observed under normal BBB permeability conditions.
- Suggests that changes in BBB function can modulate neuroendocrine responses.
Conclusions:
- Altered blood-brain barrier permeability significantly impacts neuroendocrine responses to circulating substances.
- This highlights a critical, underappreciated factor in neuroendocrine research.
- The findings have implications for understanding hormone regulation in various physiological and pathological conditions.