目的:探讨脂多糖(LPS)对永生化小鼠脑微血管内皮细胞bEnd.3通透性的影响及可能的机制。方法:实验分3组:bEnd.3细胞组、bEnd.3/vector细胞组和bEnd.3/muIκBα细胞组,后2组中分别转染空载pcD-NA3.1hygro质粒和IκBα显性负性突变体DNMu-IκBα质粒。利用报告基因法、跨内皮细胞电阻抗(TEER)法、直接荧光染色法和免疫印迹(Western blotting)法分别检测LPS对细胞的NF-κB活性、细胞通透性、骨架蛋白F-ac-tin分布、紧密连接蛋白(ZO-1和claudin-5)表达以及肌球蛋白轻链(MLC)磷酸化水平的影响。结果:bEnd.3组和bEnd.3/vector组细胞中,LPS作用0.5 h可引起NF-κB活化(P〈0.05);3 h时细胞TEER开始下降(P〈0.05),并伴随细胞F-actin重构,ZO-1表达下调;12 h时,LPS对细胞的TEER、F-actin、ZO-1和claudin-5的破坏程度均达到最高。LPS对bEnd.3组和bEnd.3/vector组细胞早期损害伴有MLC磷酸化增加。而bEnd.3/muIκBα组细胞的NF-κB活性被明显抑制;相应时点,LPS对细胞的TEER、F-actin、ZO-1和claudin-5的损害作用也被减轻。同时LPS引起细胞MLC磷酸化增加的作用被明显抑制。结论:LPS通过破坏紧密连接增加脑微血管内皮细胞的通透性,该过程受NF-κB调控。
AIM:To investigate the role of nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) signaling in the changes of permeability in brain-derived microvascular endothelial(bEnd.3) cells induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS).METHODS: The bEnd.3 cells were randomly divided into 3 groups: bEnd.3 group,bEnd.3/vector group and bEnd.3/muIκBα group.The cells in the latter 2 groups were transfected with pcDNA3.1hygro and DNMu-IκBα(a dominant-negative mutant of IκB) plasmids,respectively.All the cells were exposed to LPS.The activity of NF-κB,monolayer barrier integrity and F-actin distribution were detected by luciferase reporter assay,transendothelial electrical resistance(TEER) assay and rhodamine-phalloidin staining,respectively.The expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and claudin-5) and phosphorylation of myosin light chain(MLC) were determined using Western blotting.RESULTS: In bEnd.3 group and bEnd.3/vector group,the NF-κB activity began to increase obviously as early as 0.5 h after pretreatment with LPS.LPS decreased TEER,and induced F-actin rearrangement and ZO-1 down-regulation in 3 h.Incubation of the cells with LPS for 12 h induced the most significant disruptive effects on the permeability and tight junctions.Moreover,high expression of phosphorylated MLC accompanied with the early damages of tight junctions was observed.However,these destabilizing alterations were suppressed in bEnd.3/muIκBα group by the inhibition of NF-κB activity.CONCLUSION: LPS induces hyperpermeability in brain microvascular endothelial cells.The functions of NF-κB signaling are related to influencing disruptions of tight junctions by regulating the phosphorylation of MLC.