Abstract
Background: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a complex neurovascular unit involving pericytes as multi-functional cells that play a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFRβ) immunostaining revealed significantly reduced pericyte coverage of brain capillaries as well as reduced pericyte numbers in AD cortex and hippocampus compared with control brains. However, the mechanisms of pericyte loss have yet to be completely defined. Moreover, we have previously shown that, in microglia, interleukin-1β (IL- 1β)-induced inflammation blocks autophagic flow, a physiological process involved in the degradation of proteins including the β-amyloid peptide. Thus, we evaluated whether the inflammatory response in AD impaired autophagy in pericytes.
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