ReviewAnatomy and physiology of the blood–brain barrier
Section snippets
Anatomy of the blood–brain barrier
To maintain normal brain function, the neural environment must be preserved within a narrow homeostatic range; this requires a tight regulation of transportation of cells, molecules and ions between the blood and the brain. Such tight regulation is maintained by a unique anatomical and physiological barrier, formed collectively in the central nervous system (CNS). The existence of a physical interface between the CNS and the peripheral circulation and the vascular capacity was first described
Development of the blood–brain barrier
A key developmental phase of the BBB lies in the early communications of the embryonic endothelium with neural cells [17]. The BBB matures during fetal life and is well formed by birth [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23]. Transport mechanisms may continue to develop in mammals born in a relatively immature state (such as the rat and mouse) and become fully functional only in the peri- or post-natal period [24]. The development of the vascular endothelium is now known to be provoked by
Physiology of the blood–brain barrier
Each of the three main CNS interface layers: the BBB, choroid plexus epithelium and the epithelium of the arachnoid mater, functions as a physical, transport, metabolic, and immunologic barrier. The barrier functions are dynamic and respond to regulatory signals from both blood and brain. Tight junctions between adjacent cells restrict diffusion of polar solutes through the intercellular cleft (paracellular pathway). The barriers are permeable to O2 and CO2 and other gaseous molecules such as
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