Abstract
This study was designed to assess the mechanism of bilirubin entry into the brain in rats when subjected to bilirubin displacement by sulfisoxazole. Hyperbilirubinemia (approximately 170μM/l or 10 mg/dl)) was established by infusion of unconjugated bilirubin at a rate of 30 mg/kg/hr for three hours. After 2 hours of bilirubin infusion, displacement of bilirubin was produced by a bolus infusion of sulfisoxazole at a dose of 50 mg/kg, resulting in a significant but transient increase in the serum concentrations of unbound bilirubin from 1.84±0.29 μg/dl at 120 mins to 3.10±0.38 μg/dl at 130 mins. (Mean ±S.E.M., p<0.001, paired t-test). After 3 hours of bilirubin infusion the rats were sacrificed and the brains perfused in situ with cold saline. Brain bilirubin was determined by chloroform extraction. The integrity of the blood-brain barrier was assessed by measurement of brain albumin as 125I albumin content. The results indicate that unbound bilirubin displaced by sulfisoxazole can pass through an intact blood brain barrier.
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