Dokument-ID Dokumenttyp Verfasser/Autoren Herausgeber Haupttitel Abstract Auflage Verlagsort Verlag Erscheinungsjahr Seitenzahl Schriftenreihe Titel Schriftenreihe Bandzahl ISBN Quelle der Hochschulschrift Konferenzname Quelle:Titel Quelle:Jahrgang Quelle:Heftnummer Quelle:Erste Seite Quelle:Letzte Seite URN DOI Abteilungen OPUS4-21641 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Burek, Malgorzata; Burmester, Sandra; Salvador, Ellaine; Möller-Ehrlich, Kerstin; Schneider, Reinhard; Roewer, Norbert; Nagai, Michiaki; Förster, Carola Y. Kidney Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury Induces Changes in the Drug Transporter Expression at the Blood-Brain Barrier in vivo and in vitro Ischemia/reperfusion injury is a major cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI is characterized by a sudden decrease in kidney function, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and dysregulation of the sodium, potassium, and water channels. While AKI leads to uremic encephalopathy, epidemiological studies have shown that AKI is associated with a subsequent risk for developing stroke and dementia. To get more insights into kidney-brain crosstalk, we have created an in vitro co-culture model based on human kidney cells of the proximal tubule (HK-2) and brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC). The HK-2 cell line was grown to confluence on 6-well plates and exposed to oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) for 4 h. Control HK-2 cells were grown under normal conditions. The BMEC cell line cerebED was grown to confluence on transwells with 0.4 μm pores. The transwell filters seeded and grown to confluence with cereEND were inserted into the plates with HK-2 cells with or without OGD treatment. In addition, cerebEND were left untreated or treated with uremic toxins, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indoxyl sulfate (IS). The protein and mRNA expression of selected BBB-typical influx transporters, efflux transporters, cellular receptors, and tight junction proteins was measured in BMECs. To validate this in vitro model of kidney-brain interaction, we isolated brain capillaries from mice exposed to bilateral renal ischemia (30 min)/reperfusion injury (24 h) and measured mRNA and protein expression as described above. Both in vitro and in vivo systems showed similar changes in the expression of drug transporters, cellular receptors, and tight junction proteins. Efflux pumps, in particular Abcb1b, Abcc1, and Abcg2, have shown increased expression in our model. Thus, our in vitro co-culture system can be used to study the cellular mechanism of kidney and brain crosstalk in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. 2020 Frontiers in Physiology 11 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-216413 10.3389/fphys.2020.569881 Klinik und Poliklinik für Anästhesiologie (ab 2004) OPUS4-12670 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Burek, Malgorzata; Salvador, Ellaine; Förster, Carola Y. Generation of an Immortalized Murine Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Line as an In Vitro Blood Brain Barrier Model Epithelial and endothelial cells (EC) are building paracellular barriers which protect the tissue from the external and internal environment. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) consisting of EC, astrocyte end-feet, pericytes and the basal membrane is responsible for the protection and homeostasis of the brain parenchyma. In vitro BBB models are common tools to study the structure and function of the BBB at the cellular level. A considerable number of different in vitro BBB models have been established for research in different laboratories to date. Usually, the cells are obtained from bovine, porcine, rat or mouse brain tissue (discussed in detail in the review by Wilhelm et al. 1). Human tissue samples are available only in a restricted number of laboratories or companies 2,3. While primary cell preparations are time consuming and the EC cultures can differ from batch to batch, the establishment of immortalized EC lines is the focus of scientific interest. Here, we present a method for establishing an immortalized brain microvascular EC line from neonatal mouse brain. We describe the procedure step-by-step listing the reagents and solutions used. The method established by our lab allows the isolation of a homogenous immortalized endothelial cell line within four to five weeks. The brain microvascular endothelial cell lines termed cEND 4 (from cerebral cortex) and cerebEND 5 (from cerebellar cortex), were isolated according to this procedure in the Förster laboratory and have been effectively used for explanation of different physiological and pathological processes at the BBB. Using cEND and cerebEND we have demonstrated that these cells respond to glucocorticoid- 4,6-9 and estrogen-treatment 10 as well as to pro-infammatory mediators, such as TNFalpha 5,8. Moreover, we have studied the pathology of multiple sclerosis 11 and hypoxia 12,13 on the EC-level. The cEND and cerebEND lines can be considered as a good tool for studying the structure and function of the BBB, cellular responses of ECs to different stimuli or interaction of the EC with lymphocytes or cancer cells. 2012 Journal of Visualized Experiments 66 e4022 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126702 10.3791/4022 Klinik und Poliklinik für Anästhesiologie (ab 2004) OPUS4-29755 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Förster, Carola Y.; Shityakov, Sergey; Scheper, Verena; Lenarz, Thomas Linking cerebrovascular dysfunction to age-related hearing loss and Alzheimer's disease — are systemic approaches for diagnosis and therapy required? Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with neurovascular dysfunction, cognitive decline, and the accumulation of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) in the brain and tau-related lesions in neurons termed neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Aβ deposits and NFT formation are the central pathological hallmarks in AD brains, and the majority of AD cases have been shown to exhibit a complex combination of systemic comorbidities. While AD is the foremost common cause of dementia in the elderly, age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most predominant sensory deficit in the elderly. During aging, chronic inflammation and resulting endothelial dysfunction have been described and might be key contributors to AD; we discuss an intriguing possible link between inner ear strial microvascular pathology and blood-brain barrier pathology and present ARHL as a potentially modifiable and treatable risk factor for AD development. We present compelling evidence that ARHL might well be seen as an important risk factor in AD development: progressive hearing impairment, leading to social isolation, and its comorbidities, such as frailty, falls, and late-onset depression, link ARHL with cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia, rendering it tempting to speculate that ARHL might be a potential common molecular and pathological trigger for AD. Additionally, one could speculate that amyloid-beta might damage the blood-labyrinth barrier as it does to the blood-brain barrier, leading to ARHL pathology. Finally, there are options for the treatment of ARHL by targeted neurotrophic factor supplementation to the cochlea to improve cognitive outcomes; they can also prevent AD development and AD-related comorbidity in the future. 2022 Biomolecules 12 11 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-297552 10.3390/biom12111717 Klinik und Poliklinik für Anästhesiologie (ab 2004) OPUS4-27083 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Karnati, Srikanth; Guntas, Gulcan; Rajendran, Ranjithkumar; Shityakov, Sergey; Höring, Marcus; Liebisch, Gerhard; Kosanovic, Djuro; Ergün, Süleyman; Nagai, Michiaki; Förster, Carola Y. Quantitative lipidomic analysis of Takotsubo syndrome patients' serum Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), also known as the transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome, is in contemporary times known as novel acute cardiac syndrome. It is characterized by transient left ventricular apical akinesis and hyperkinesis of the basal left ventricular portions. Although the precise etiology of TTS is unknown, events like the sudden release of stress hormones, such as the catecholamines and the increased inflammatory status might be plausible causes leading to the cardiovascular pathologies. Recent studies have highlighted that an imbalance in lipid accumulation might promote a deviant immune response as observed in TTS. However, there is no information on comprehensive profiling of serum lipids of TTS patients. Therefore, we investigated a detailed quantitative lipid analysis of TTS patients using ES-MSI. Our results showed significant differences in the majority of lipid species composition in the TTS patients compared to the control group. Furthermore, the computational analyses presented was able to link the altered lipids to the pro-inflammatory cytokines and disseminate possible mechanistic pathways involving TNFα and IL-6. Taken together, our study provides an extensive quantitative lipidome of TTS patients, which may provide a valuable Pre-diagnostic tool. This would facilitate the elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of the disease and to prevent the development of TTS in the future. 2022 Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 9 797154 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-270832 10.3389/fcvm.2022.797154 Institut für Anatomie und Zellbiologie OPUS4-5459 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Neuhaus, Winfried; Burek, Malgorzata; Djuzenova, Cholpon C; Thal, Serge C; Koepsell, Hermann; Roewer, Norbert; Förster, Carola Y Addition of NMDA-receptor antagonist MK801 during oxygen/glucose deprivation moderately attenuates the up-regulation of glucose uptake after subsequent reoxygenation in brain endothelial cells During stroke the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is damaged which can result in vasogenic brain edema and inflammation. The reduced blood supply leads to decreased delivery of oxygen and glucose to affected areas of the brain. Oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) can cause upregulation of glucose uptake of brain endothelial cells. In this letter, we investigated the influence of MK801, a non-competitive inhibitor of the NMDA-receptor, on the regulation of the glucose uptake and of the main glucose transporters glut1 and sglt1 in murine BBB cell line cerebEND during OGD. mRNA expression of glut1 was upregulated 68.7- fold after 6 h OGD, which was significantly reduced by 10 μM MK801 to 28.9-fold. Sglt1 mRNA expression decreased during OGD which was further reduced by MK801. Glucose uptake was significantly increased up to 907% after 6 h OGD and was still higher (210%) after the 20 h reoxygenation phase compared to normoxia. Ten micromolar MK801 during OGD was able to reduce upregulated glucose uptake after OGD and reoxygenation significantly. Presence of several NMDAR subunits was proven on the mRNA level in cerebEND cells. Furthermore, it was shown that NMDAR subunit NR1 was upregulated during OGD and that this was inhibitable by MK801. In conclusion, the addition of MK801 during the OGD phase reduced significantly the glucose uptake after the subsequent reoxygenation phase in brain endothelial cells. 2012 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-67241 Institut für Anatomie und Zellbiologie OPUS4-12547 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Neuhaus, Winfried; Schlundt, Marian; Fehrholz, Markus; Ehrke, Alexander; Kunzmann, Steffen; Liebner, Stefan; Speer, Christian P.; Förster, Carola Y. Multiple Antenatal Dexamethasone Treatment Alters Brain Vessel Differentiation in Newborn Mouse Pups Antenatal steroid treatment decreases morbidity and mortality in premature infants through the maturation of lung tissue, which enables sufficient breathing performance. However, clinical and animal studies have shown that repeated doses of glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone and betamethasone lead to long-term adverse effects on brain development. Therefore, we established a mouse model for antenatal dexamethasone treatment to investigate the effects of dexamethasone on brain vessel differentiation towards the blood-brain barrier (BBB) phenotype, focusing on molecular marker analysis. The major findings were that in total brains on postnatal day (PN) 4 triple antenatal dexamethasone treatment significantly downregulated the tight junction protein claudin-5, the endothelial marker Pecam-1/CD31, the glucocorticoid receptor, the NR1 subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, and Abc transporters (Abcb1a, Abcg2 Abcc4). Less pronounced effects were found after single antenatal dexamethasone treatment and in PN10 samples. Comparisons of total brain samples with isolated brain endothelial cells together with the stainings for Pecam-1/CD31 and claudin-5 led to the assumption that the morphology of brain vessels is affected by antenatal dexamethasone treatment at PN4. On the mRNA level markers for angiogenesis, the sonic hedgehog and the Wnt pathway were downregulated in PN4 samples, suggesting fundamental changes in brain vascularization and/or differentiation. In conclusion, we provided a first comprehensive molecular basis for the adverse effects of multiple antenatal dexamethasone treatment on brain vessel differentiation. 2015 e0136221 PLoS One 10 8 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-125471 10.1371/journal.pone.0136221 Klinik und Poliklinik für Anästhesiologie (ab 2004) OPUS4-14826 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Neuhaus, Winfried; Schlundt, Marian; Fehrholz, Markus; Ehrke, Alexander; Kunzmann, Steffen; Liebner, Stefan; Speer, Christian P.; Förster, Carola Y. Multiple antenatal dexamethasone treatment alters brain vessel differentiation in newborn mouse pups Antenatal steroid treatment decreases morbidity and mortality in premature infants through the maturation of lung tissue, which enables sufficient breathing performance. However, clinical and animal studies have shown that repeated doses of glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone and betamethasone lead to long-term adverse effects on brain development. Therefore, we established a mouse model for antenatal dexamethasone treatment to investigate the effects of dexamethasone on brain vessel differentiation towards the blood-brain barrier (BBB) phenotype, focusing on molecular marker analysis. The major findings were that in total brains on postnatal day (PN) 4 triple antenatal dexamethasone treatment significantly downregulated the tight junction protein claudin-5, the endothelial marker Pecam-1/CD31, the glucocorticoid receptor, the NR1 subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, and Abc transporters (Abcb1a, Abcg2 Abcc4). Less pronounced effects were found after single antenatal dexamethasone treatment and in PN10 samples. Comparisons of total brain samples with isolated brain endothelial cells together with the stainings for Pecam-1/CD31 and claudin-5 led to the assumption that the morphology of brain vessels is affected by antenatal dexamethasone treatment at PN4. On the mRNA level markers for angiogenesis, the sonic hedgehog and the Wnt pathway were downregulated in PN4 samples, suggesting fundamental changes in brain vascularization and/or differentiation. In conclusion, we provided a first comprehensive molecular basis for the adverse effects of multiple antenatal dexamethasone treatment on brain vessel differentiation. 2015 e0136221 PLoS ONE 10 8 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148268 10.1371/journal.pone.0136221 Kinderklinik und Poliklinik OPUS4-28627 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Reschke, Moritz; Salvador, Ellaine; Schlegel, Nicolas; Burek, Malgorzata; Karnati, Srikanth; Wunder, Christian; Förster, Carola Y. Isosteviol sodium (STVNA) reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and GM-CSF in an in vitro murine stroke model of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) Early treatment with glucocorticoids could help reduce both cytotoxic and vasogenic edema, leading to improved clinical outcome after stroke. In our previous study, isosteviol sodium (STVNA) demonstrated neuroprotective effects in an in vitro stroke model, which utilizes oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Herein, we tested the hypothesis that STVNA can activate glucocorticoid receptor (GR) transcriptional activity in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) as previously published for T cells. STVNA exhibited no effects on transcriptional activation of the glucocorticoid receptor, contrary to previous reports in Jurkat cells. However, similar to dexamethasone, STVNA inhibited inflammatory marker IL-6 as well as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) secretion. Based on these results, STVNA proves to be beneficial as a possible prevention and treatment modality for brain ischemia-reperfusion injury-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction. 2022 Pharmaceutics 14 9 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-286275 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091753 Klinik und Poliklinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral-, Gefäß- und Kinderchirurgie (Chirurgische Klinik I) OPUS4-14825 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Salvador, Ellaine; Burek, Malgorzata; Förster, Carola Y. Stretch and/or oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) in an in vitro traumatic brain injury (TBI) model induces calcium alteration and inflammatory cascade The blood-brain barrier (BBB), made up of endothelial cells of capillaries in the brain, maintains the microenvironment of the central nervous system. During ischemia and traumatic brain injury (TBI), cellular disruption leading to mechanical insult results to the BBB being compromised. Oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) is the most commonly used in vitro model for ischemia. On the other hand, stretch injury is currently being used to model TBI in vitro. In this paper, the two methods are used alone or in combination, to assess their effects on cerebrovascular endothelial cells cEND in the presence or absence of astrocytic factors. Applying severe stretch and/or OGD to cEND cells in our experiments resulted to cell swelling and distortion. Damage to the cells induced release of lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (LDH) and nitric oxide (NO) into the cell culture medium. In addition, mRNA expression of inflammatory markers interleukin (I L)-6, IL-1\(\alpha\) chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-\(\alpha\) also increased. These events could lead to the opening of calcium ion channels resulting to excitotoxicity. This could be demonstrated by increased calcium level in OGD-subjected cEND cells incubated with astrocyte-conditioned medium. Furthermore, reduction of cell membrane integrity decreased tight junction proteins claudin-5 and occludin expression. In addition, permeability of the endothelial cell monolayer increased. Also, since cell damage requires an increased uptake of glucose, expression of glucose transporter glut1 was found to increase at the mRNA level after OGD. Overall, the effects of OGD on cEND cells appear to be more prominent than that of stretch with regards to TJ proteins, NO, glutl expression, and calcium level. Astrocytes potentiate these effects on calcium level in cEND cells. Combining both methods to model TBI in vitro shows a promising improvement to currently available models. 2015 Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 9 323 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148255 10.3389/fncel.2015.00323 Klinik und Poliklinik für Anästhesiologie (ab 2004) OPUS4-26743 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Salvador, Ellaine; Burek, Malgorzata; Löhr, Mario; Nagai, Michiaki; Hagemann, Carsten; Förster, Carola Y. Senescence and associated blood-brain barrier alterations in vitro Progressive deterioration of the central nervous system (CNS) is commonly associated with aging. An important component of the neurovasculature is the blood-brain barrier (BBB), majorly made up of endothelial cells joined together by intercellular junctions. The relationship between senescence and changes in the BBB has not yet been thoroughly explored. Moreover, the lack of in vitro models for the study of the mechanisms involved in those changes impede further and more in-depth investigations in the field. For this reason, we herein present an in vitro model of the senescent BBB and an initial attempt to identify senescence-associated alterations within. 2021 283-292 Histochemistry and Cell Biology 156 3 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-267435 10.1007/s00418-021-01992-z Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik OPUS4-28805 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Salvador, Ellaine; Kessler, Almuth F.; Domröse, Dominik; Hörmann, Julia; Schaeffer, Clara; Giniunaite, Aiste; Burek, Malgorzata; Tempel-Brami, Catherine; Voloshin, Tali; Volodin, Alexandra; Zeidan, Adel; Giladi, Moshe; Ernestus, Ralf-Ingo; Löhr, Mario; Förster, Carola Y.; Hagemann, Carsten Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) reversibly permeabilize the blood-brain barrier in vitro and in vivo Despite the availability of numerous therapeutic substances that could potentially target CNS disorders, an inability of these agents to cross the restrictive blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits their clinical utility. Novel strategies to overcome the BBB are therefore needed to improve drug delivery. We report, for the first time, how Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), approved for glioblastoma (GBM), affect the BBB's integrity and permeability. Here, we treated murine microvascular cerebellar endothelial cells (cerebEND) with 100-300 kHz TTFields for up to 72 h and analyzed the expression of barrier proteins by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. In vivo, compounds normally unable to cross the BBB were traced in healthy rat brain following TTFields administration at 100 kHz. The effects were analyzed via MRI and immunohistochemical staining of tight-junction proteins. Furthermore, GBM tumor-bearing rats were treated with paclitaxel (PTX), a chemotherapeutic normally restricted by the BBB combined with TTFields at 100 kHz. The tumor volume was reduced with TTFields plus PTX, relative to either treatment alone. In vitro, we demonstrate that TTFields transiently disrupted BBB function at 100 kHz through a Rho kinase-mediated tight junction claudin-5 phosphorylation pathway. Altogether, if translated into clinical use, TTFields could represent a novel CNS drug delivery strategy. 2022 Biomolecules 12 10 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-288057 10.3390/biom12101348 Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik OPUS4-24108 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Shityakov, Sergey; Hayashi, Kentaro; Störk, Stefan; Scheper, Verena; Lenarz, Thomas; Förster, Carola Y. The conspicuous link between ear, brain and heart − Could neurotrophin-treatment of age-related hearing loss help prevent Alzheimer's disease and associated amyloid cardiomyopathy? Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with neurovascular dysfunction and cognitive decline. While the deposition of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are the pathological hallmarks of AD-affected brains, the majority of cases exhibits a combination of comorbidities that ultimately lead to multi-organ failure. Of particular interest, it can be demonstrated that Aβ pathology is present in the hearts of patients with AD, while the formation of NFT in the auditory system can be detected much earlier than the onset of symptoms. Progressive hearing impairment may beget social isolation and accelerate cognitive decline and increase the risk of developing dementia. The current review discusses the concept of a brain-ear-heart axis by which Aβ and NFT inhibition could be achieved through targeted supplementation of neurotrophic factors to the cochlea and the brain. Such amyloid inhibition might also indirectly affect amyloid accumulation in the heart, thus reducing the risk of developing AD-associated amyloid cardiomyopathy and cardiovascular disease. 2021 Biomolecules 11 6 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-241084 10.3390/biom11060900 Klinik und Poliklinik für Anästhesiologie (ab 2004) OPUS4-28596 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Shityakov, Sergey; Nagai, Michiaki; Ergün, Süleyman; Braunger, Barbara M.; Förster, Carola Y. The protective effects of neurotrophins and microRNA in diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and heart failure via regulating endothelial function Diabetes mellitus is a common disease affecting more than 537 million adults worldwide. The microvascular complications that occur during the course of the disease are widespread and affect a variety of organ systems in the body. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common long-term complications, which include, amongst others, endothelial dysfunction, and thus, alterations in the blood-retinal barrier (BRB). This particularly restrictive physiological barrier is important for maintaining the neuroretina as a privileged site in the body by controlling the inflow and outflow of fluid, nutrients, metabolic end products, ions, and proteins. In addition, people with diabetic retinopathy (DR) have been shown to be at increased risk for systemic vascular complications, including subclinical and clinical stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and nephropathy. DR is, therefore, considered an independent predictor of heart failure. In the present review, the effects of diabetes on the retina, heart, and kidneys are described. In addition, a putative common microRNA signature in diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and heart failure is discussed, which may be used in the future as a biomarker to better monitor disease progression. Finally, the use of miRNA, targeted neurotrophin delivery, and nanoparticles as novel therapeutic strategies is highlighted. 2022 Biomolecules 12 8 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-285966 10.3390/biom12081113 Institut für Anatomie und Zellbiologie OPUS4-24870 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Shityakov, Sergey; Skorb, Ekaterina V.; Förster, Carola Y.; Dandekar, Thomas Scaffold Searching of FDA and EMA-Approved Drugs Identifies Lead Candidates for Drug Repurposing in Alzheimer's Disease Clinical trials of novel therapeutics for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) have consumed a significant amount of time and resources with largely negative results. Repurposing drugs already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), or Worldwide for another indication is a more rapid and less expensive option. Therefore, we apply the scaffold searching approach based on known amyloid-beta (Aβ) inhibitor tramiprosate to screen the DrugCentral database (n = 4,642) of clinically tested drugs. As a result, menadione bisulfite and camphotamide substances with protrombogenic and neurostimulation/cardioprotection effects were identified as promising Aβ inhibitors with an improved binding affinity (ΔGbind) and blood-brain barrier permeation (logBB). Finally, the data was also confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations using implicit solvation, in particular as Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area (MM-GBSA) model. Overall, the proposed in silico pipeline can be implemented through the early stage rational drug design to nominate some lead candidates for AD, which will be further validated in vitro and in vivo, and, finally, in a clinical trial. 2021 Frontiers in Chemistry 9 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-248703 10.3389/fchem.2021.736509 Klinik und Poliklinik für Anästhesiologie (ab 2004) OPUS4-28830 Wissenschaftlicher Artikel Thal, Serge C.; Smetak, Manuel; Hayashi, Kentaro; Förster, Carola Y. Hemorrhagic cerebral insults and secondary Takotsubo syndrome: findings in a novel in vitro model using human blood samples Intracranial hemorrhage results in devastating forms of cerebral damage. Frequently, these results also present with cardiac dysfunction ranging from ECG changes to Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). This suggests that intracranial bleeding due to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) disrupts the neuro-cardiac axis leading to neurogenic stress cardiomyopathy (NSC) of different degrees. Following this notion, SAH and secondary TTS could be directly linked, thus contributing to poor outcomes. We set out to test if blood circulation is the driver of the brain-heart axis by investigating serum samples of TTS patients. We present a novel in vitro model combining SAH and secondary TTS to mimic the effects of blood or serum, respectively, on blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity using in vitro monolayers of an established murine model. We consistently demonstrated decreased monolayer integrity and confirmed reduced Claudin-5 and Occludin levels by RT-qPCR and Western blot and morphological reorganization of actin filaments in endothelial cells. Both tight junction proteins show a time-dependent reduction. Our findings highlight a faster and more prominent disintegration of BBB in the presence of TTS and support the importance of the bloodstream as a causal link between intracerebral bleeding and cardiac dysfunction. This may represent potential targets for future therapeutic inventions in SAH and TTS. 2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23 19 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-288305 10.3390/ijms231911557 Klinik und Poliklinik für Anästhesiologie (ab 2004)