Altered Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability and Its Effect on the Distribution of Evans Blue and Sodium Fluorescein in the Rat Brain Applied by Intracarotid Injection

P. KOZLER, J. POKORNݹ

Department of Neurosurgery, Central Military Hospital, Prague and ¹Institute of Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Received February 25, 2002
Accepted October 30, 2002

Summary
The aim was to study the blood-brain permeability according to the distribution in the rat brain of Evans blue (EB) and sodium fluorescein (NaFl) administered by an intracarotid injection. Eighteen animals were divided into six groups according to the state of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) at the moment when the dyes were being applied. In the first two groups, the BBB was intact, in groups 3 and 4 the barrier had been opened osmotically prior to the application of the dyes, and in groups 5 and 6 a cellular edema was induced by hyperhydration before administration of the dyes. The intracellular and extracellular distribution of the dyes was studied by fluorescence microscopy. The histological picture thus represented the morphological correlate of the way BBB permeability had been changed before the application of the dyes.

Key words
Blood-brain barrier • Cellular edema • Intravital dyes • Fluorescence microscopy

Reprint requests
MUDr Petr Kozler, Neurosurgical Clinic, Central Military Hospital, U vojenské nemocnice 1200, 169 02 Prague 6, Czech Republic. e-mail: nchr@uvn.cz