Entry of neutralizing antibody to measles into brain and cerebrospinal fluid of immunized monkeys after osmotic opening of the blood-brain barrier

Abstract

The blood-brain barrier was osmotically opened to circulating neutralizing antibody to measles in immunized rhesus monkeys. Hypertonic solutions of lactamide or arabinose were perfused into the left hemisphere via the left lingual artery, after the external and common carotid arteries were clamped temporarily. Opening was graded by the amount of brain staining produced by intravascular Evans blue-albumin. Elevated brain antibody concentrations were produced in five of seven animals with grade 2+ barrier opening in the absence of neurological sequelae, suggesting that tight junctions between cerebrovascular endothelia were widened to molecules with a molecular weight of at least 180,000. Tenfold higher antibody concentrations were produced by grade 3+ barrier opening but were accompanied by evidence of brain damage. Brain antibody remained elevated for at least 4 days following osmotic opening, and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations also were tenfold higher during this period, both for grade 2+ and 3+ openings.