Na,K-ATPase alpha isoforms at the blood-cerebrospinal fluid-trigeminal nerve and blood-retina interfaces in the rat

• Published in: Fluids and barriers of the CNS Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 14
• Main Authors: Arakaki, Xianghong, McCleary, Paige, Techy, Matthew, Chiang, Jiarong, Kuo, Linus, Fonteh, Alfred N, Armstrong, Brian, Levy, Dan, Harrington, Michael G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 14-03-2013; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Adenosine triphosphatase; Blood; Brain research; Calcitonin; Cell culture; Headaches; Immunohistochemistry; Microscopy; Migraine; Physiological aspects; Rodents; Von Willebrand factor; Texas
• ISSN: 2045-8118; 2045-8118
• DOI: 10.1186/2045-8118-10-14

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sodium concentration increases during migraine attacks, and both CSF and vitreous humor sodium increase in the rat migraine model. The Na,K-ATPase is a probable source of these sodium fluxes. Since Na,K-ATPase isoforms have different locations and physiological roles, our objective was to establish which alpha isoforms are present at sites where sodium homeostasis is disrupted.
Specific Na,K-ATPase alpha isoforms were identified in rat tissues by immunohistochemistry at the blood-CSF barrier at the choroid plexus, at the blood-CSF-trigeminal barrier at the meninges, at the blood-retina barrier, and at the blood-aqueous barrier at the ciliary body. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), occludin, or von Willibrand factor (vWF) were co-localized with Na,K-ATPase to identify trigeminal nociceptor fibers, tight junctions, and capillary endothelial cells respectively.
The Na,K-ATPase alpha-2 isoform is located on capillaries and intensely at nociceptive trigeminal nerve fibers at the meningeal blood-CSF-trigeminal barrier. Alpha-1 and -3 are lightly expressed on the trigeminal nerve fibers but not at capillaries. Alpha-2 is expressed at the blood-retina barriers and, with alpha-1, at the ciliary body blood aqueous barrier. Intense apical membrane alpha-1 was associated with moderate cytoplasmic alpha-2 expression at the choroid plexus blood-CSF barrier.
Na,K-ATPase alpha isoforms are present at the meningeal, choroid plexus, and retinal barriers. Alpha-2 predominates at the capillary endothelial cells in the meninges and retinal ganglion cell layer.