doi:10.1369/jhc.5A6870.2006
Volume 54 (10): 1159-1167, 2006 Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc. In Situ Localization of P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) in Human and Rat Brain
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (RB,PTR), and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada (DG,MB) Correspondence to: Dr. Moise Bendayan, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, CP 6128 Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, PQ, Canada H3T 1J4. E-mail: moise.bendayan{at}umontreal.ca
Transport of several xenobiotics including pharmacological agents into or out of the central nervous system (CNS) involves the expression of ATP-dependent, membrane-bound efflux transport proteins such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) at the bloodbrain barrier (BBB). Previous studies have documented gene and protein expression of P-gp in brain microvessel endothelial cells. However, the exact localization of P-gp, particularly at the abluminal side of the BBB, remains controversial. In the present study we examined the cellular/subcellular distribution of P-gp in situ in rat and human brain tissues using immunogold cytochemistry at the electron microscope level. P-gp localizes to both the luminal and abluminal membranes of capillary endothelial cells as well as to adjacent pericytes and astrocytes. Subcellularly, P-gp is distributed along the nuclear envelope, in caveolae, cytoplasmic vesicles, Golgi complex, and rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). These results provide evidence for the expression of P-gp in human and rodent brain capillary along their plasma membranes as well as at sites of protein synthesis, glycosylation, and membrane trafficking. In addition, its presence at the luminal and abluminal poles of the BBB, including pericytes and astrocyte plasma membranes, suggests that this glycoprotein may regulate drug transport processes in the entire CNS BBB at both the cellular and subcellular level. (J Histochem Cytochem 54:11591167, 2006)
Key Words: P-glycoprotein brain capillary endothelial cell immunogold cytochemistry luminal plasma membrane abluminal plasma membrane bloodbrain barrier
THE PRIMARY INTERFACES between brain and peripheral circulation are the bloodbrain barrier (BBB) and the bloodcerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier (Kusuhara and Sugiyama 2001 5000 times greater than that of the bloodCSF barrier, the BBB is considered to be the main route for the traffic of endogenous substances as well as xenobiotics into and out of the brain (Kusuhara and Sugiyama 2001
Although the molecular expression of P-gp in brain microvessel endothelial cells is well documented, its exact localization at the BBB remains controversial. Several studies carried out in vitro (Tatsuta et al. 1992 The goal of the present study was to examine the in situ cellular/subcellular localization of P-gp in rat and human whole BBB using the high-resolution quantitative immunogold cytochemical approach at the electron microscope level. These results demonstrate, for the first time on intact tissue, the distribution of P-gp not only at the level of the luminal and abluminal brain capillary endothelial plasma membranes but also the preferential association with caveolae and cytoplasmic vesicle as well as at the level of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), nuclear envelope, and Golgi complex. Furthermore, this glycoprotein is present at the plasma membrane of pericytes and astrocytes, which indicates participation of the entire BBB in restricting brain permeability of several xenobiotics including pharmacological agents.
Materials Murine monoclonal P-gp antibodies C219 and MRK16 were purchased from ID Labs (London, ON, Canada) and Kamiya Biomedical Co. (Seattle, WA), respectively. Rabbit polyclonal GFAP antibody was also obtained from Kamiya Biomedical Co. Colloidal gold-conjugated anti-mouse IgG (5 and 10 nm) and an anti-rabbit IgGgold complex (10 nm) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (Oakville, ON, Canada) and British Biocell International (Cardiff, UK), respectively. Purified P-gp for control experiments was kindly provided by Dr. Frances Sharom (University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada).
Tissue Preparation Ethics approval for the collection of postsurgical human brain tissue was obtained from the Research Ethics Boards of the University Health Network and the University of Toronto. Human brain tissue was collected from the Departments of Neuropathology and Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, from consenting patients undergoing temporal lobectomies for intractable epilepsy. This procedure provides normal tissue at the resection margin and, in our study, all collected tissue samples were examined by a neuropathologist and confirmed to be normal. Immediately upon sampling, tissues were fixed in 1% glutaraldehyde and then processed for embedding in Lowicryl as described above.
Immunocytochemistry Studies
To firmly establish the identity of the astrocytes, double-labeling experiments (Bendayan 1995 Density of immunocytochemical labeling was determined by morphometry using a Clemex Vision analysis unit (Montreal, Canada). Gold particles were considered associated with a particular site when they were within 1015 nm of a cellular membrane (i.e., plasma membrane, nuclear envelope, RER, Golgi complex). Labeling was evaluated along the plasma membrane of capillary endothelial cells and associated caveolae. Length of membranes was measured, and numbers of gold particles aligned along these membranes were counted. We have also evaluated the percentage of total labeling present over the endothelial cells including plasma membrane, membrane-bound vesicles, mitochondria, nuclear envelope, RER, and Golgi apparatus as well as those particles free over the cytosol. In addition, numbers of caveolae lining the luminal and abluminal endothelial plasma membranes were counted. Images were recorded at x16,900 and enlarged to a final magnification of x40,000. Results are expressed in number of gold particles/µm. Morphometric evaluations were not carried out on human brain tissue due to the small number of available samples (i.e., n=2).
Statistical Analysis
Electron micrographs (Figure 1 ) illustrate cross-sections of brainblood capillaries surrounded by astrocytes and pericytes. Using the immunogold technique with the monoclonal anti-P-gp antibodies, gold particles are observed along the plasma membrane of the endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes (Figure 1). Labeling was easily identified at both the luminal and abluminal plasma membranes of the capillary endothelial cells. Quantitative analysis demonstrates that labeling of the plasma membrane is 1.4-fold higher at the abluminal side of the endothelium than at the luminal surface (Table 1 ). Smooth membrane invaginations (i.e., caveolae) at the luminal and abluminal plasma membranes of the endothelial cells are also labeled (Figure 1B). The total number of caveolae is 1.7-fold higher (p<0.001) at the abluminal membrane than at the luminal one (Table 1) confirming previous reports (Bouchard et al. 2002
To identify the astrocytic nature of the cells, double-labeling experiments were carried out on rat brain sections using an anti-GFAP and anti-P-gp antibodies. GFAP is selectively present in astrocytes, and its expression is widely used as a cellular marker. Results from the double labeling allowed us to establish that pericapillary astrocytes do express P-gp. Indeed, labeling for GFAP is intense over the bundles of glial intermediate filaments (Figure 3 ) identifying the cells as astrocytes. The same cells display specific labeling for P-gp at their plasma membrane (Figure 3).
The capillary endothelium in human brain tissue lined by pericytes and astrocytes displays immunocytochemical labelings similar to rat tissue (i.e., along the luminal and abluminal plasma membranes as well as in plasmalemmal vesicles). In addition, discrete immunogold labeling was observed along the plasma membranes of the surrounding pericytes and astrocytes (Figure 4 ).
Previous studies have reported that mdr1/MDR1 mRNA and corresponding protein product, P-gp, are expressed in rat and human brain capillary endothelium (Beaulieu et al. 1997
In the present study we have examined the BBB localization of P-gp using high-resolution quantitative immunogold cytochemistry at the electron microscope level in conjunction with monoclonal P-gp antibodies that recognize highly conserved intra- and extracellular epitopes on all P-gp isoforms (Georges et al. 1990
Our studies show P-gp localization at several subcellular sites (i.e., caveolae, nuclear envelope, cytoplasmic vesicles, RER, and Golgi complex) in the capillary endothelial cells. In particular, we demonstrate the presence of caveolae at both the luminal and abluminal membranes with a higher number at the abluminal one. Similar asymmetric distribution of caveolae at the BBB has been reported by Bouchard et al. (2002)
We previously reported localization of P-gp at the nuclear envelope and cytoplasmic vesicles in cultured rat brain microvessel endothelial cells (Bendayan et al. 2002
The high sensitivity of our immunocytochemical approach has further enabled the detection of P-gp at sites of protein synthesis (i.e., RER) as well as glycosylation and protein trafficking (i.e., Golgi complex). Recent immunocytochemistry and fluorescent confocal microscopy studies on a human uterine carcinoma cell line (i.e., HeLa) transfected with P-gp indicated that the protein is first localized to the RER before moving to the Golgi, presumably to undergo posttranslational modification (i.e., glycosylation) (Fu et al. 2004
Recently, several studies have suggested that the localization and functional expression of P-gp may be altered due to disease and/or exposure to pharmacological agents. For example, P-gp expression in brain capillary endothelial cells and astrocytes may be modulated during epilepsy (Volk et al. 2005 In summary, the present study is the first to demonstrate P-gp localization at both the luminal and abluminal plasma membranes in brain capillary endothelial cells as well as in pericytes and astrocytes from human and rodent brain tissue. We also observed the subcellular localization of P-gp along the nuclear envelope and in caveolae, cytoplasmic vesicles, Golgi complex, and RER, reflecting synthesis, posttranslational changes, and membrane trafficking. Together our data suggest an important role for P-gp throughout all cellular components of the BBB, restricting brain permeability of several pharmacological agents at both the cellular surface and subcellular sites.
This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP-56976 to RB; MOP-90027 to MB) and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network. P.T.R. is a recipient of an Ontario HIV Treatment Network Studentship Award. The authors thank Dr. Taufik Valiante and Dr. Patrick Shannon, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network for the providing human brain tissue.
Received for publication November 4, 2005; accepted June 15, 2006
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