The effect of cardiac arrest on the permeability of the mouse blood-brain and blood-spinal cord barrier to pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP)

Time-dependent changes in peptide transport system (PTS-6), which transport s the 38 amino acid pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PAC AP) across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-spinal cord barrier (BSC B), were studied in mice in a cardiac arrest model. The permeability of the BSCB to radioactivity labeled I-131 showed a reversible increase on Day 2- (24 h) after cardiac arrest. The BBB showed no such increase. The increase in BSCB permeability was primarily located within the thoracic region of th e spinal cord. We conclude that the ischemia occurring with cardiac arrest results in a transient increase in PTS-6 activity located primarily in the thoracic region of the spinal cord. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All righ ts reserved.