Abstract
The characteristics of isolated and subcultured Mongolian gerbil brain microvessel endothelial cells (BECs) were investigated, especially the disappearance of blood brain barrier (BBB) functions, and subcultured BECs were co-cultured with gerbil glial cells to assess a mass-producible BBB filter model. The subcultured cells lost specific characteristics observed in freshly isolated BECs, such as limited permeability to albumin and inulin, high γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activity, and strong connections between individual cells. The subcultured BECs did not regain BBB functions during co-culture with glial cells, even derived from the same species. Only freshly isolated endothelial cells can be used for the BBB filter model, and a mass-producible BBB filter model may be impossible to make.
