Unconjugated bilirubin (UCB), at slightly elevated unbound concentrations, is toxic to astrocytes and neurons, damaging mitochondria (causing impaired energy metabolism and apoptosis) and plasma membranes (causing oxidative damage and disrupting transport of neurotransmitters). Accumulation of UCB in the CSF and CNS is limited by its active export, probably mediated by MRP1/Mrp1 present in choroid plexus epithe...
Background Neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia remains one of the most common clinical conditions requiring therapeutic intervention. Nevertheless, reliable indicators of bilirubin toxicity are still missing. This prompted us to investigate (a) the progression o