Pcbs and tight junction expression

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners exhibit a broad range of adverse biological effects including neurotoxicity. The mechanisms by which PCBs cause neurotoxic effects are still not completely understood. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a physical and metabolic barrier separating brain microenvironment from the peripheral circulation and is mainly composed of endothelial cells connected by tight junctions. We examined the effects of several highly-chlorinated PCB congeners on expression of tight junction proteins in human brain endothelial cells. Treatment for 24 h with selective PCB congeners disrupted expression of the cytosolic scaffold proteins of tight junctions, such as zonula occludens (ZO)-1, ZO-2, and AF6. In contrast, PCB exposure did not alter expression of integral membrane proteins, junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A), and claudin-1. Based on these data, we suggest that PCB-mediated selective alterations of tight junction protein expression may contribute to their neurotoxic effects in the central nervous system.