Mechanism of low-frequency ultrasound in opening blood-tumor barrier by tight junction

J Mol Neurosci. 2011 Mar;43(3):364-9. doi: 10.1007/s12031-010-9451-9. Epub 2010 Sep 18.

Abstract

The clinical chemotherapy of brain tumors has been limited by the blood-tumor barrier (BTB). Low-frequency ultrasound (LFU) in combination with microbubbles might be a useful method for local drug delivery. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we asked whether LFU changed the permeability of BTB by regulating the tight junction-related proteins. The permeability of BTB was evaluated by Evans blue dye, and the protein and mRNA expression levels of tight junction-related proteins claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1 were determined by immunohistochemical staining, RT-PCR, and western blot assays. We found that the permeability of BTB increased significantly after LFU exposure in the presence of Optison. The mRNA and protein expression levels of claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1 decreased significantly at 3 h, restored gradually and nearly recovered after 12 h. The correlation between the increase of BTB permeability and the reduction of tight junction-related proteins suggests that LFU combined with microbubbles may be involved in the opening of the BTB by the tight junction-related proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / metabolism*
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / ultrastructure
  • Claudin-5
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Microbubbles
  • Occludin
  • Permeability
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Tight Junctions / chemistry
  • Tight Junctions / metabolism*
  • Ultrasonics / methods*
  • Vascular Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Zonula Occludens-1 Protein

Substances

  • Claudin-5
  • Cldn5 protein, rat
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Occludin
  • Ocln protein, rat
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Tjp1 protein, rat
  • Zonula Occludens-1 Protein