Isolation of the Bovine Transferrin Receptor and Studies of its In Vitro Expression and Regulation

Abstract

Bovine brain microvessel endothelial cells (BMEC) are used as an in vitro model of the blood brain barrier. These cells express transferrin receptor on their surface in order to be able to supply neighboring brain cells with iron in vivo. Since transferrin is taken UP by BMEC, it may be possible to somehow couple a drug to it which might then be able to transverse the blood brain barrier (BBB) which has proven to be a formidable barrier to the delivery of drugs to the brain. In order to study the possible regulation of the bovine transferrin receptor, BMEC were treated with the glucocorticoid steroid, dexamethasone and the compound U-72,74SG which was alleged to have glucocorticoid-like actlvity. In addition, the transferrin receptor was isolated from bovine placenta and injected into New Zealand white rabbits which formed antibodies to it. The anti-bovine transferrin receptor antiserum was used to stain tissue sections and revealed the presence of transferrin receptor in the capillaries of the brain and heart as well as the hepatocytes and reticuloendothelial cells in the liver.

With honors.