Glucose transport by isolated plasma membranes of the bovine blood-brain barrier

Luminal and abluminal endothelial plasma membrane vesicles were isolated from bovine cerebral microvessels, the site of the blood-brain barrier. Glucose transport across each membrane was measured using a rapid-filtration technique. Glucose transport into luminal vesicles occurred by a stereospecific energy-independent transporter [Michaelis-Menten constant (K-m) = 10.3 +/- 2.8 (SE) mM and maximal velocity (V-max) = 8.6 +/- 2.0 nmol.mg protein(-1).min(-1)]. Kinetic analysis of abluminal vesicles also showed a transport system with characteristics similar to the luminal transporter (K-m = 12.5 +/- 2.3 mM and V-max = 10.0 +/- 1.0 nmol.mg protein(-1).min(-1)). These functional, facilitative glucose transporters were symmetrically distributed between the luminal and abluminal membrane domains, providing a mechanism for glucose movement between blood and brain. The studies also revealed a Na-dependent transporter on the abluminal membrane with a higher affinity and lower capacity than the facilitative transporters (K-m = 130 +/- 20 mu M and V-max = 1.59 +/- 0.44 nmol.mg protein-1 min-1). The abluminal Na-dependent glucose transporter is in a position to transport glucose from the brain extracellular fluid into the endothelial. cells of the blood-brain barrier. The functional significance of its presence there remains to be determined.