Specialized Localization of P‐Glycoprotein Recognized by MRK 16 Monoclonal Antibody in Endothelial Cells of the Brain and the Spinal Cord

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Abstract
This communication describes the cellular and ultrastructural localization in the central nervous system of P-glycoprotein (P-GP) recognized by a murine monoclonal antibody, MRK 16. At the ultrastructural level P-GP was strictly confined to the luminal surface of the endothelial cells which comprise the capillary vessels of the brain and the spinal cord. No P-GP was found in the endothelial cells of the other organs. Our findings may be useful as a means to define the blood-brain barrier, and they imply tht the blood-brain barrier is anatomically characterized by the presence of intercellular tight junctions between continuous nonfenestrated endothelial cells.

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