The Presence of Caffeic Acid in Cerebrospinal Fluid: Evidence That Dietary Polyphenols Can Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier in Humans.

Epidemiological data indicate that a diet rich in plant polyphenols has a positive effect on brain functions, improving memory and cognition in humans. Direct activity of ingested phenolics on brain neurons may be one of plausible mechanisms explaining these data. This also suggests that some phenolics can cross the blood-brain barrier and be present in the brain or cerebrospinal fluid. We measured 12 phenolics (a combination of the solid-phase extraction technique with high-performance liquid chromatography) in cerebrospinal fluid and matched plasma samples from 28 patients undergoing diagnostic lumbar puncture due to neurological disorders. Homovanillic acid, 3-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid and caffeic acid were detectable in cerebrospinal fluid reaching concentrations (median; interquartile range) 0.18; 0.14 µmol/L, 4.35; 7.36 µmol/L and 0.02; 0.01 µmol/L, respectively. Plasma concentrations of caffeic acid (0.03; 0.01 µmol/L) did not correlate with those in cerebrospinal fluid (ρ = -0.109, p = 0.58). Because food (fruits and vegetables) is the only source of caffeic acid in human body fluids, our results indicate that the same dietary phenolics can cross blood-brain barrier in humans, and that transportation of caffeic acid through this barrier is not the result of simple or facilitated diffusion.

[Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome - a case report]. / Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome ­ a case report.

Von Hippel-Lindau disease (vHL, familial cerebello-retinal angiomatosis) is a rare genetic autosomal dominant disorder associated with predisposition to vascular tumors. Mutations of VHL tumor suppressor gene, located on chromosome 3p25-26, are responsible for clinical manifestation of the disease. The VHL gene product encodes VHL protein, which is responsible for HIF-1 (hypoxia-inducible factor-1) dependent cell cycle regulation and cellular pathways mediated by VEGF, PDGF, TGF-α, EPO. The mechanism substantiates the hypoxia dependent vascular tumor growth caused by loss of wild-type VHL protein. The clinical spectrum of vHL syndrome includes multiple tumors of various localization and low histologic grade, often bilateral. The most typical for the syndrome are: hemangioblastoma of central nervous system (typically posterior fossa or medulla), retinal hemangioblastoma, renal cell carcinoma and pheochromocytoma. The aim of the case report is to remind the typical clinical manifestation of von Hippel- Lindau syndrome, update the diagnostic criteria, recommended diagnostic and follow up methods.