Table 8.
Porcine in-vitro models of the blood–brain barrier. Morphology, tightness and astrocyte/pericyte induction.
| Model type | Endothelial morphology | Junction Claudins | ∼TEER (Ohm · cm2) (mean values) | Permeability 10−6 (cm/s) | Occludin/ ZO proteins | Astrocyte induction | Pericyte induction | Selected key references |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary porcine BCEC (isolation with enzymes) | Cobblestone | 5 (ICC,mRNA) | 250–790 | 6 (sucrose) | Occludin (ICC,mRNA) | Increased TEER and changed morphology by astrocyte co-culture | 54,106,215 | |
| Primary porcine BCEC (isolation including density centrifugation step) | Intermediate | 5 (ICC,WB) | 400–1500 | 0.6–1 (sucrose) 1.8 (mannitol) | ZO1 and Occludin, (ICC,WB) | Increased TEER and claudin-5 expression, decrease in Psucrose and changed morphology by astrocyte co-culture | Decrease in TEER by pericyte co-culture. However increase in TEER by co-culture with bFGF-treated pericytes. Increase in TEER by porcine pericytes in contact-co-culture | 92,104, 213,218–221 |
| Primary porcine BCEC in co-culture with rat astrocytes or astrocyte cell line | Cobblestone in mono-culture, change to spindle in co-culture. Intermediate in both mono and co-culture | 5 (ICC,WB) | 800–1800 | 0.6 (Lucifer yellow) | ZO1 and Occludin (ICC, WB) | Increased TEER and claudin-5 expression, decrease in Psucrose and PLY and changed morphology by astrocyte co-culture | 54,92,215 |
–
: not investigated; ICC: immunocytochemistry; WB: Western blotting.
Note: The permeability value of the smallest tested compound in the study is given.