Department of Marine Bio-Pharmacology, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
Innovation Center, Shanghai BociMed Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China.
Mar Drugs. 2023 Jul 18;21(7):406. doi: 10.3390/md21070406.
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic barrier separating neurocytes and brain tissues from blood that is extremely sealed and strictly regulated by transporters such as aquaporin-4 (AQP-4), glucose transporter (GLUT), and specialized tight junctional complexes (TJCs) including tight junctions (TJs), adherens junctions (AJs), and Zonulae occludens (ZOs). With specifically selective transcellular and paracellular permeability, the BBB maintains a homeostatic microenvironment to protect the central nervous system (CNS). In recent years, increasing attention has been paied to the importance of BBB disruption and dysfunction in the pathology of neurological disorders and diseases, such as Alzheimer's diseases (AD), Parkinson diseases (PD), stroke and cerebral edema. However, the further research on how the integral structure and function of BBB are altered under the physiological or pathological conditions is still needed. Focusing on the ultrastructural features of the BBB and combining the latest research on associated proteins and transporters, physiological regulation and pathological change of the BBB were elucidated. By summarizing the protective effects of known bioactive compounds derived from marine life on the BBB, this review aims to highlight the BBB as a key to the treatment of several major neurological diseases instead of a normally described obstacle to drug absorption and transport. Overall, the BBB's morphological characteristics and physiological function and their regulation provide the theoretical basis for the study on the BBB and inspire the diagnosis of and therapy for neurological diseases.
血脑屏障（BBB）是一种将神经细胞和脑组织与血液分隔开来的动态屏障，其具有极高的封闭性，并受到水通道蛋白-4（AQP-4）、葡萄糖转运蛋白（GLUT）和专门的紧密连接复合体（TJCs）等转运体的严格调节，这些 TJCs 包括紧密连接（TJs）、黏着连接（AJs）和封闭小带（ZOs）。BBB 具有特定的细胞间和旁细胞通透性，可维持有助于保护中枢神经系统（CNS）的稳态微环境。近年来，人们越来越关注 BBB 破坏和功能障碍在神经病变和疾病（如阿尔茨海默病（AD）、帕金森病（PD）、中风和脑水肿）中的病理作用。然而，仍需要进一步研究在生理或病理条件下，BBB 的整体结构和功能如何发生改变。本文重点介绍 BBB 的超微结构特征，并结合与 BBB 相关的蛋白质和转运体的最新研究，阐明了 BBB 的生理调节和病理变化。通过总结已知海洋生物来源的生物活性化合物对 BBB 的保护作用，本文旨在强调 BBB 是治疗几种主要神经疾病的关键，而不是通常描述的药物吸收和转运障碍。总之，BBB 的形态特征、生理功能及其调节为 BBB 的研究提供了理论基础，并为神经疾病的诊断和治疗提供了启示。
