ALB and diabetes mellitus: In diabetes, there are changes to the microvascular structure of the brain, and it has been shown in a mouse model of diabetes that the BBB changes by a reduction in the number of astrocytes and degeneration of pericytes.[310, 311] In vitro studies showed that inflammation (acute bacterial infection) caused the BBB to become permeable to albumin,[312] however, in vivo studies showed that this was not always the case.[313]