Reactive astrocytosis, involving activation, hypertrophy, and proliferation of astrocytes, is a characteristic response to inflammation or injury of the central nervous system. We have investigated whether inhibition of reactive astrocytosis influences established experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis. We made use of transgenic mice, which express herpes simplex virus-derived thymidine kinase under control of a glial fibrillary acidic protein promotor (GFAP HSV-TK mice). Treatment of these mice with ganciclovir leads to inhibition of reactive astrocytosis. When GFAP HSV-TK mice were treated for seven days following onset of EAE with ganciclovir, disease severity increased. Although aquaporin-4 staining on astrocyte endfeet at the glia limitans remained equally detectable, GFAP immunoreactivity and mRNA expression in CNS were reduced by this treatment. Ganciclovir-treated GFAP HSV-TK mice with EAE had a 78% increase in the total number of infiltrating myeloid cells (mainly macrophages), whereas we did not find an increase in infiltrating T cells, using quantitative flow cytometry. Per cell expression of mRNA for the macrophage-associated molecules TNFα, MMP-12 and TIMP-1 was elevated in spinal cord of GFAP HSV-TK mice treated with ganciclovir. Relative expression of CD3ε was downregulated, and expression levels of IFNγ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, and Foxp3 were not significantly changed. mRNA expression of CCL2 was upregulated, and CXL10 was downregulated. Thus, inhibition of reactive astrocytosis after initiation of EAE leads to increased macrophage, but not T cell, infiltration, and enhanced severity of EAE. This emphasizes the role of astrocytes in controlling leukocyte infiltration in neuroinflammation.

No abstract

Patients with untreated acromegaly had increased body cell mass and normal or modestly increased proximal muscle strength, whereas their grip strength was reduced. After biochemical improvement and remission, body composition was normalized, hand grip strength was increased, whereas proximal muscle fatigue increased.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a complex of endothelial and glial barriers, controls passage of cells and solutes between the blood and central nervous system (CNS). Blood-brain barrier breakdown refers to entry of cells and/or solutes. We were interested whether the renin-angiotensin system is involved during BBB breakdown. We studied the type 2 angiotensin receptor AT(2) because of its suggested neuroprotective role. Two models of brain inflammation were used to distinguish solute versus cellular barrier functions. Both leukocytes and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) accumulated in the perivascular space of transgenic mice expressing the chemokine CCL2 in the CNS, indicating selective endothelial effects. Cellular infiltration and HRP leakage across the glia limitans to the parenchyma were induced by pertussis toxin (PTx) treatment. By contrast, there was no detectable HRP leakage in the hippocampus dentate gyrus after transection of axonal afferents, despite that leukocytes infiltrate to this site. Immunoreactivity for AT(2) was increased on glia limitans astrocytes in PTx-treated CCL2 transgenics, whereas AT(2) immunostaining was not induced in the lesion-reactive dentate gyrus. Our results suggest that AT(2) induction correlates with solute leakage rather than cellular infiltration. This points to a role for AT(2) in selective changes to the BBB.