A mouse model for the study of blood-brain barrier permeability.

This article describes a C57BL/6 mouse model for the investigation of blood-brain barrier (BBB) alteration. Osmotic modification of BBB was achieved by infusion of 1.6 M arabinose solution into the internal carotid artery with or without occlusion of the external carotid artery. BBB alteration was measured by infusing 2% Evans blue dye. Only 1.6 M arabinose-treated animals but not 0.9% NaCl controls displayed prominent ipsilateral staining of frontal and temporal lobes. Light blue staining occurred in animals sacrificed within 10 min after injection. Prominent staining occurred in animals sacrificed 1-6 hours later. Identically treated animals were maintained for up to 6 months without signs of systemic or neurological dysfunction. This model may permit study of the effects of biological response modifiers (BRMs) upon the central nervous system (CNS) in healthy and diseased mice.