MRI detects blood-brain barrier alterations in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease and lung infection

Pneumonia is a common infection in people suffering with Alzheimer's disease, leading to delirium, critical illness or severe neurological decline, which may be due to an amplified response of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to peripheral insult. We assess the response of the BBB to repeated <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> lung infection in rat model of Alzheimer's disease (TgF344-AD), at 13- and 18-months old, using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI and filter exchange imaging. Higher BBB water exchange rate is initially detected in infected TgF344-AD rats. BBB water exchange rates correlated with hippocampus aquaporin-4 water channel expression in infected animals. We detected no differences in BBB permeability to gadolinium contrast agent measured by DCE-MRI, confirmed by staining for tight junction proteins, occludin and claudin-5. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms of how peripheral inflammation impacts the BBB.

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Publication Details

Journal
npj Imaging
Published
2025-03-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s44303-025-00071-5
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
3.64

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article

MRI detects blood-brain barrier alterations in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease and lung infection

Ben Dickie, Geoff J.M. Parker, Hervé Boutin, Michael Berks et al.
4 citations
npj Imaging
Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
3.64
article

MRI detects blood-brain barrier alterations in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease and lung infection

Ben Dickie, Geoff J.M. Parker, Hervé Boutin, Michael Berks, Yolanda Ohene, William J. Harris, Katherine F. Smethers, Elizabeth Powell, Laura M. Parkes, Catherine B. Lawrence, Nadim Luka, Kieron South
article en
4 citations

Abstract

Pneumonia is a common infection in people suffering with Alzheimer's disease, leading to delirium, critical illness or severe neurological decline, which may be due to an amplified response of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to peripheral insult. We assess the response of the BBB to repeated <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> lung infection in rat model of Alzheimer's disease (TgF344-AD), at 13- and 18-months old, using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI and filter exchange imaging. Higher BBB water exchange rate is initially detected in infected TgF344-AD rats. BBB water exchange rates correlated with hippocampus aquaporin-4 water channel expression in infected animals. We detected no differences in BBB permeability to gadolinium contrast agent measured by DCE-MRI, confirmed by staining for tight junction proteins, occludin and claudin-5. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms of how peripheral inflammation impacts the BBB.

npj ImagingVol. 3(1)
Université de Tours (FR), Inserm (FR), Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (GB), University of Manchester (GB), University College London (GB)
European Commission, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Seventh Framework Programme
Clean water and sanitation
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
3.64
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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