1. Interleukin-34 Restores Blood–Brain Barrier Integrity by Upregulating Tight Junction Proteins in Endothelial Cells.
- Author
-
Jin, Shijie, Sonobe, Yoshifumi, Kawanokuchi, Jun, Horiuchi, Hiroshi, Cheng, Yi, Wang, Yue, Mizuno, Tetsuya, Takeuchi, Hideyuki, and Suzumura, Akio
- Subjects
BLOOD-brain barrier ,INTERLEUKINS ,TIGHT junctions ,ENDOTHELIAL cells ,LIGANDS (Biochemistry) ,MACROPHAGES ,NEUROPROTECTIVE agents - Abstract
Interleukin-34 (IL-34) is a newly discovered cytokine as an additional ligand for colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R), and its functions are expected to overlap with colony stimulating factor-1/macrophage-colony stimulating factor. We have previously shown that the IL-34 is primarily produced by neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and induces proliferation and neuroprotective properties of microglia which express CSF1R. However, the functions of IL-34 in the CNS are still elucidative. Here we show that CNS capillary endothelial cells also express CSF1R. IL-34 protected blood–brain barrier integrity by restored expression levels of tight junction proteins, which were downregulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines. The novel function of IL-34 on the blood–brain barrier may give us a clue for new therapeutic strategies in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF