TY  - JOUR
A1  - Pieper, Christian
A1  - Marek, Jasmin Jacqueline
A1  - Unterberg, Marlies
A1  - Schwerdtle, Tanja
A1  - Galla, Hans-Joachim
T1  - Brain capillary pericytes contribute to the immune defense in response to cytokines or LPS in vitro
JF  - Brain research : an international multidisciplinary journal devoted to fundamental research in the brain sciences
N2  - The prevention of an inflammation in the brain is one of the most important goals the body has to achieve. As pericytes are located on the abluminal side of the capillaries in the brain, their role in fighting against invading pathogens has been investigated in some points, mostly in their ability to behave like macrophages. Here we studied the potential of pericytes to react as immune cells under inflammatory conditions, especially regarding the expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II) molecules, CD68, as well as the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), and their ability in phagocytosis. Quantitative real time PCR and western blot analysis showed that pericytes are able to increase the expression of typical inflammatory marker proteins after the stimulation with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1 beta), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), or lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Depending on the different specific pro-inflammatory factors pericytes changed the expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (alpha SMA), the most predominant pericyte marker. We conclude that the role of the pericytes within the immune system is regulated and fine-tuned by different cytokines strongly depending on the time when the cytokines are released and their concentration. The present results will help to understand the pericyte mediated defense mechanisms in the brain.
KW  - Pericytes
KW  - Cytokines
KW  - Inflammation
KW  - LPS
KW  - Macrophage-like phenotype
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2014.01.004
SN  - 0006-8993
SN  - 1872-6240
VL  - 1550
SP  - 1
EP  - 8
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  -