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Effects of 6-aminonicotinamide gliotoxin on blood-brain barrier differentiation in the chick embryo cerebellum

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Abstract

The hypothesis of astroglial cell involvement in prenatal setting up of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been examined by producing glial degeneration in cerebellum of chicken embryos submitted to the action of gliotoxin 6-aminonicotinamide (6-AN), which was applied onto the embryo chorioallantoic membrane during both early and late embryonic development. The effects of 6-AN on the cerebellum astroglial cells and microvessels were analysed under the light microscope by immunostaining for 3CB2 (chick-specific glial marker) and HT7 (chick-specific marker of BBB-provided brain endothelia), under the electron microscope, as well as by the vascular permeability tracer horseradish peroxidase. The results, showing good suitability of the 6-AN model also when applied in early embryonic development, demonstrated a correlation between perivascular glia depletion and endothelial barrier impairment and suggested that astroglia play a role in the BBB prenatal differentiation.

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Acknowledgements

The Authors thank Mrs. Marisa Ambrosi for photographic help with electron microscopy. Mary Victoria Pragnell, B.A. (Hons) is gratefully acknowledged for linguistic help. The work was supported in part by grants from University of Bari (M.B., 1999, 2000)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Foggia Medical School, Viale L. Pinto, 71100, Foggia, Italy

    Mirella Bertossi

  2. Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Polyclinics, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 70124 , Bari, Italy

    Francesco Girolamo, Mariella Errede, Daniela Virgintino & Luisa Roncali

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  1. Mirella Bertossi
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  2. Francesco Girolamo
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  3. Mariella Errede
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  4. Daniela Virgintino
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  5. Luisa Roncali
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Correspondence to Mirella Bertossi.

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Bertossi, M., Girolamo, F., Errede, M. et al. Effects of 6-aminonicotinamide gliotoxin on blood-brain barrier differentiation in the chick embryo cerebellum. Anat Embryol 207, 209–219 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-003-0335-4

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