Cerebral mast cells contribute to postoperative cognitive dysfunction by promoting blood brain barrier disruption

About the author

Yanning Qian, Director of Department of Anesthesiology Research, First affiliated hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Deputy Director of the General Surgery Department of Nanjing Medical University. Research interests: anesthetic effects on nerve-endocrine-immune network. This research direction have had some effect in the domestic and foreign counterparts: achieved the provincial science and technology progress third class Prize 2 times; achieved 3 National Natural Science Foundation; in 2011, achieved one of the Ministry of education doctoral project; published more than 20 papers in SCI journals as first or corresponding author; several papers presented in international conferences.

Journal Reference

Behav Brain Res. 2016 Feb 1;298(Pt B):158-66.

Zhang S¹, Dong H¹, Zhang X¹, Li N¹, Sun J², Qian Y³.

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Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China.
Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected]. [/expand]

Abstract

Trauma induced neuroinflammation plays a key role in the development of postoperative cognitive dysfunction . The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a highly specialized endothelial layer, is exquisitely sensitive to inflammatory insults, which can result in numerous neurocognitive syndromes. While brain mast cells are the “first responder” in the injury, the functional interactions between mast cells and the BBB remain poorly understood. Our results demonstrate that tibial fracture surgery can induce cognitive impairment relating to an inflammatory response and destabilization of the BBB. Disodium cromoglycate (cromolyn) – which acts as a mast cell stabilizer – inhibited this effect. Specifically, cromolyn resulted in ameliorated cognitive ability, decrease of inflammatory cytokines and increase of BBB stability. Taken together, these results suggest that activated mast cells contributed to central nervous system inflammation and cognitive dysfunction by promoting BBB disruption, and interactions between mast cells and the BBB could constitute a new and unique therapeutic target for postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

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