Effects of lipopolysaccharide on the radiation-induced changes in the blood–brain barrier and the astrocytes

The use of radiation to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy on malignant brain tumors is also known to cause side effects on vascular endothelial cells and astrocytes in normal parts of the brain. We investigated the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the functional and structural properties of blood–brain barrier (BBB) and the activity of astrocytes during whole-brain irradiation in rats. The permeability of the BBB to Evans blue (EB) dye significantly increased in the cerebral cortex, diencephalon and cerebellum regions of rats exposed to irradiation (P