Treatment of malignant glioma with chemotherapy is limited mostly because of delivery impediment related to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). One approach for transporting drugs across the BBB involves the activation of bradykinin-B2 receptors (BK-B2R). Our objective was to pharmacologically characterize the BBB permeability induced by the synthetic biostable BK-B2R analogue [Phe(8)psi(CH(2)NH)Arg(9)]-BK (R523) in F98 glioma-implanted Fischer rats. On day 10 post-inoculation, we detected the presence of B2R in the tumor cells and the peritumoral microvasculature (RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry). We assessed BBB permeability before and after the intracarotid (i.c.) infusion of R523 (0.1ml/min for 5min; 2.5, 10, and 50nmol/kg/min) using non-invasive dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) with the different sized-contrast agents Gd-DTPA (0.5kDa) and Gadomer (17kDa) (0.25mmol/kg via the caudal vein). T(1)-weighted images were analyzed for the presence or absence of contrast enhancement within and surrounding the tumor area and mathematically processed to yield a contrast agent distribution volume (CADV), which was used as an indicator of vascular permeability. Our results showed that the agonist R523 increased, in a dose-dependent manner, the CADV indexes of Gd-DTPA and Gadomer, with a maximum 2-fold increase in brain uptake of both CA. The increase in CADV induced by R523 (10nmol/kg/min) was prevented by the B2R antagonist HOE140 (20nmol/kg/min, i.c.) and the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NA (5mg/kg, i.v.) but not by the B1R antagonist R892 (20nmol/kg/min, i.c.) or the cyclooxygenase inhibitor Meclofenamate (5mg/kg, i.v.). The BBB permeabilizing effect of R523 (10nmol/kg/min) lasted for <1h and was accompanied by a dose-related fall in arterial blood pressure. We concluded that R523 allows the extravasation of hydrophilic macromolecular agents (17kDa) into tumor tissues by inducing selective tumor BBB permeability via B2R- and NO-dependent mechanisms.
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