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. 1990 Jun;87(11):4265–4269. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.11.4265

Localization of cellular retinol-binding protein and retinol-binding protein in cells comprising the blood-brain barrier of rat and human.

P N MacDonald 1, D Bok 1, D E Ong 1
PMCID: PMC54089  PMID: 2190219

Abstract

Brain is not generally recognized as an organ that requires vitamin A, perhaps because no obvious histologic lesions have been observed in severely vitamin A-deficient animals. However, brain tissue does contain cellular vitamin A-binding proteins and a nuclear receptor protein for retinoic acid. In the present study, immunohistochemical techniques were used to determine the cell-specific location of cellular retinol-binding protein in human and rat brain tissue. Cellular retinol-binding protein was localized specifically within the endothelial cells of the brain microvasculature and within the cuboidal epithelial cells of the choroid plexus, two primary sites of the mammalian blood-brain barrier. In addition, autoradiographic procedures demonstrated binding sites for serum retinol-binding protein in the choroidal epithelium. These observations suggest that a significant movement of retinol across the blood-brain barrier may occur.

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