Figure 2.

Transport across the blood-brain barrier. Tight junctions (TJ) and adherens junction complexes restrict paracellular diffusion across the blood-brain barrier. In addition, molecules such as nutrients, amino acids, nucleotides, and metabolic waste products are also selectively transported across EC membranes by specific influx and efflux transporters. Abbreviations: ZO-1, zonula occludens-1; JAM, junctional adhesion molecule; VE-cadherin, vascular endothelial-cadherin, IgG, immunoglobulin G Adapted from Ref. 9.