Brain Barriers - Drewes

Question 1

What is the purpose of P-Glycoprotein?

Answer 1

It is an efflux transporter!
Very important thing to consider when developing effective therapeutics

Anti-cancer
Anti-epilepsy
Anti-therapeutics

Question 2

What is the Trojan horse delivery system?

Answer 2

Drug delivery method in which a drug is attached to a molecule that is already normally taken through the blood brain barrier. Like a piggy back system!

Question 3

What kinds of things increase diapedesis?

Answer 3

Inflammation signals (chemokines) can signal an increased amount of diapedesis

Multiple sclerosis, stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury and others

Question 4

What is the role of the glymphatic system?

Answer 4

Basically functions to support interstitial solute and fluid clearance from the brain

Question 5

What is the function of the monocarboxylate Transporter-1 (MCT-1) ??

Answer 5

Transports physiological substrates into the brain

Lactate, pyruvate, acetate, butyrate
Exercise, hypoglycemia
Ketones (D--hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate)
Fasting, ketogenic diet

Question 6

When does the brain use lactate, pyruvate and butyrate?

Answer 6

Hypoglycemia and exercise conditions

Question 7

When does the brain use ketones for fuel?

Answer 7

When fasting or eating a ketogenic diet

Question 8

At what stage of a person’s life do they upregulate MCT1 expression in the brain?

Answer 8

Babies!

Their brains use lactate and ketones a lot more than adults
Research to see if these should be given in hypoglycemic conditions