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Endothelial Cells Become Phagocytic after CNS Injury and Inflammation
Author(s) -
Lossinsky Albert S.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.329.8
Subject(s) - microbiology and biotechnology , transcellular , caveolae , phagocytosis , inflammation , candida albicans , biology , pinocytosis , vacuole , macrophage , phagosome , cell , chemistry , endocytosis , immunology , in vitro , cytoplasm , signal transduction , biochemistry
A major goal in understanding the vascular function of the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) is to characterize the nature of macromolecular and cellular transport of leukocytes and pathogens across the injured and inflamed BBB. Endothelial cells (ECs) can ingest particulate materials, pathogenic microorganisms, neoplastic and inflammatory cells since ECs and macrophages both originate from undifferentiated mesenchymal cells during embryologic development. Here we studied the phagocytic characteristics of BBB‐type ECs after exposure to HIV‐1 virus and Candida albicans yeast. We present ultrastructural and immunoultrastructural evidence that cultured human brain ECs can engulf viral particles and the yeast‐cells and filaments via EC caveolae defined previously as vesiculo‐canalicular/vesiculo‐vacuolar organelles (VCS/VVOs). These modified caveolae upregulate ICAM‐1that facilitates trafficking of the invading cells into and across the ECs. Elongated EC microvilli, fronds, and membrane ruffles embraced and engulfed the virus and yeast cells and transported them across the ECs via a transcellular pathway. Our studies demonstrate the importance of comparing both animal and cell culture models of the BBB to study the phagocytic properties of BBB‐type ECs. Supported by a grant from the NIAID: RO3 AI055636‐02.