Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
7
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-7-16
pubmed:abstractText
SUMMARY: The present study provides evidence that chronic intake of a high-fat diet induces a dramatic extravasation of immunoglobulins, indicating alterations in blood-brain barrier (BBB) functioning, in the brains of apolipoprotein E (apoE)-knockout mice, but not of C57Bl/6 control mice. Using sodium fluorescein as a marker for the permeability of the BBB, we found additional support for age-related disturbances of BBB function in apoE-knockout mice. Behavioral analysis of apoE-knockout mice compared with C57Bl/6 mice indicated that they were also less efficient in acquiring the spatial Morris water maze task. Furthermore, apoE-knockout mice are known to develop severe atherosclerosis, which is exacerbated with a high-fat diet. We therefore compared the apoE-knockout mice with the apoE3-Leiden transgenic mice, which are known to develop atherosclerosis. However, apoE3-Leiden mice that were kept on a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet and that developed atherosclerosis to an extent similar to the apoE-knockout mice, showed no signs of BBB disturbances. These results indicate for the first time that apoE plays an essential role in the maintenance of the integrity of the BBB during aging and that it protects the brain from neuropathology induced by a high-fat diet. We therefore hypothesize that the role of apoE in the maintenance of the integrity of the BBB may be the mechanism by which apoE affects the progression of neurodegeneration, as seen in Alzheimer's disease.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
0023-6837
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
81
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
953-60
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2001
pubmed:articleTitle
Apolipoprotein E protects against neuropathology induced by a high-fat diet and maintains the integrity of the blood-brain barrier during aging.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. M.Mulder@NP.unimaas.nl
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Comparative Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't