Homocysteine causes cerebrovascular leakage in mice

Abstract

Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) is associated with cerebrovascular disease and activates matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which lead to vascular remodeling that could disrupt the blood-brain barrier. To determine whether Hcy administration can increase brain microvascular leakage secondary to activation of MMPs, we examined pial venules by intravital video microscopy through a craniotomy in anesthetized mice. Bovine serum albumin labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (BSA-FITC) was injected into a carotid artery to measure extravenular leakage. Hcy (30 μM/total blood volume) was injected 10 min after FITC-BSA injection. Four groups of mice were examined: 1) wild type (WT) given vehicle; 2) WT given Hcy (WT + Hcy); 3) MMP-9 gene knockout given Hcy (MMP-9−/− + Hcy); and 4) MMP-9−/− with topical application of histamine (10−4 M) (MMP-9−/− + histamine). In the WT + Hcy mice, leakage of FITC-BSA from pial venules was significantly ( P < 0.05) greater than in the other groups. There was no significant leakage of pial microvessels in MMP-9−/− + Hcy mice. Increased cerebrovascular leakage in the MMP-9−/− + histamine group showed that microvascular permeability could still increase by a mechanism independent of MMP-9. Treatment of cultured mouse microvascular endothelial cells with 30 μM Hcy resulted in significantly greater F-actin formation than in control cells without Hcy. Treatment with a broad-range MMP inhibitor (GM-6001; 1 μM) ameliorated Hcy-induced F-actin formation. These data suggest that Hcy increases microvascular permeability, in part, through MMP-9 activation.