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Abstract

Medicine

Disruption of the Mouse Blood-Brain Barrier by Small Extracellular Vesicles from Hypoxic Human Placentas

Published: January 26th, 2024

DOI:

10.3791/65867

1Vascular Physiology Laboratory, Department of Basic Sciences, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillan, 2Nursery School, Health Faculty, Universidad Santo Tomás, Los Angeles, 3Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Herminda Martin Clinical Hospital, Chillan, 4Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepcion, 5Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Chillan, 6Group of Research and Innovation in Vascular Health (GRIVAS Health), Chillan

* These authors contributed equally

Abstract

Cerebrovascular complications, including cerebral edema and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, constitute the leading cause of maternal mortality associated with preeclampsia. The underlying mechanisms of these cerebrovascular complications remain unclear. However, they are linked to placental dysfunction and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Nevertheless, the connection between these two distant organs is still being determined. Increasing evidence suggests that the placenta releases signaling molecules, including extracellular vesicles, into maternal circulation. Extracellular vesicles are categorized according to their size, with small extracellular vesicles (sEVs smaller than 200 nm in diameter) considered critical signaling particles in both physiological and pathological conditions. In preeclampsia, there is an increased number of circulating sEVs in maternal circulation, the signaling function of which is not well understood. Placental sEVs released in preeclampsia or from normal pregnancy placentas exposed to hypoxia induce brain endothelial dysfunction and disruption of the BBB. In this protocol, we assess whether sEVs isolated from placental explants cultured under hypoxic conditions (modeling one aspect of preeclampsia) disrupt the BBB in vivo.

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Keywords Extracellular Vesicles

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