The Circumventricular Organsof the Brain

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Circumventricular Organsof the Brain Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (1982) vol. 64 The circumventricular organs of the brain: their role as possible sites for future neurosurgery D H M Woollam MA MD ScD FRCP MRCS Fellow, Tutor, and Director ofStudies in Medicine, Emmanuel College, Cambridge; University Lecturer in Anatomy, University of Cambridge Key words: BRAIN; CIRCUMVENTRICUIAR ORGANS; CEREBROSPINAL FLUID; HYDROCEPHALUS Summary cumventricular organs' (Fig. 1), notwithstanding In this paper an attempt is made to give an account ofthe the fact that in most cases very little is known possible significance ofthe circumventrzcular organs to the about their independent function. They have cer- neurosurgeon. Two major members ofthe group, the neuro- tain things in common, however. They are all hypophysis and thepineal organ, are not considered, largely located around the median ventricular system because ofthe vast literature which has already accrued on and thus in close contact with the cerebrospinal these two structures. Particular attention is paid to the fluid. Although they are highly vascularised relationship between the circulation of the cerebrospinal structures, they differ from the ordinary fluid and theproblem ofhydrocephalus, the choroidplexus, parenchyma of the brain in the ultrastructure not and the possible roles of Reissner's fibre and the only of their blood vessels but also of their subcommissural organ. ependymal, glial, and neuronal components (3). Although there is a remarkable similarity in com- Introduction parative anatomy between various mammals, this There is a group of structures which present a is by no means the case when one descends the peculiar problem, not least perhaps to the neuro- animal kingdom; in cold-blooded animals such as surgeon and to the neuroanatomist. In 1958 fish a number oforgans which are probably, ifnot Hofer (1) thought it appropriate to group these certainly, absent in mammals have been structures together under the name of the 'cir- described. FIG. 1 Diagrammatic representation of a median section of a mammalian brain with the CV'Os illustrated. Structures: OC, optic chiasma; AC, antenror commissure; CC, corpus callosum; PC, posterior commissure; MI, massa intermedia; FAM, foramen of Mlonro. CVOs: ME, median eminence; OVLT, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis; SFO, subfornical organ; HE, habenular ependyma; HC, habenular commissure; SCO, subcommissural organ; ARO, aqueductal recess organ; CRO, collicular recess organ; AP, area postrema. From Collins and Woollam (2). Arris and Gale Lecture delivered at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, Norwich, on May 8th 1981 310 D HMIl$4oollam Of the circumventricular organs (CVOs) it is area of those in the lateral ventricles is so very impracticable to say anything about the two most much greater than that of the rest combined that important, the neurohypophysis and the pineal when we are looking for an explanation as to the gland. This is not only because such vast function of the choroid plexuses it is obviously to quantities have been written about these organs the lateral ventricles that we look. Until compara- that it would take many years to give even a tively recently it was almost universally agreed precis of the information available about them. It that the purpose of the plexuses was to produce is also for two other reasons: firstly, because the the cerebrospinal fluid, although there has always other CVOs, the functions ofwhich may well bear been a small group ofworkers who regarded their on a variety of medical problems ranging from function as the absorption of the fluid. The avant obesity to mental disease, need highlighting; and garde from 1957 to the present time has always secondly, because in this fascinating group of seen something of a two-way flow, however over- structures we come face to face with one of the whelmingly in the productive direction, and there worst problems anatomy is leaving clinical prac- has been a tendency to get into very deep waters titioners to face. over the question whether a fluid can or cannot be This is the main aspect of the problem. When produced in the body's interior by a simple pro- we see something on histological or cytological cess of outpouring like the production of urine examination which resembles something else we from the urethra. This has led those ofa biophysi- assume that they are to all intents and purposes cal mind to regard the choroid plexus as an organ the same both in function and in every other way. in which work is done by the surface cells to This is not very rational, since it is quite possible excrete ions into the ventricles. Water is then that glands, for example, which produce quite attracted into the ventricles, on this theory, to re- different substances appear identical to our store the tonicity of the fluid. Looming over all present methods of investigation. theories as to the function of the choroid plexus is I have worked for 30 years on the choroid the spectre of hydrocephalus. Blockage of the in- plexus and its relation to the cerebrospinal fluid. terventricular foramen on one side can result in In 1950 it would not have been unfair to suggest dilatation of the ventricle on that side, and this that the view put forward by Halliburton in 1917, fact is in itself perhaps the strongest evidence for that the cerebrospinal fluid was an ideal physio- the belief that the main purpose of the choroid logical saline and no more, suited contemporary plexus is the production of the cerebrospinal fluid. neurological views. Why was that? Possibly it was Perhaps, to be fair to the views of a number of due to the influence of Professor Dorothy eminent authorities, I should rather have said Russell's monograph in 1949 in which she really 'the greater bulk of the cerebrospinal fluid', for laid on the line the view that hydrocephalus was there is undoubtedly some evidence which points almost invariably caused by obstruction in the to the fluid being at least augmented from a cerebrospinal fluid pathways and not by over- number of minor production points on its passage production or under-absorption of the fluid. The to its seat of absorption. picture was drawn which was not to be tackled again, and then I fear not very adequately, until In recent years electron microscopists have Sweet and his collaborators in 1956 (4) suggested drawn attention to the evidence there is of other that the cerebrospinal fluid was not made activity in the plexuses beside the production of virtually exclusively by the choroid plexuses of the cerebrospinal fluid. What is thought of as the lateral ventricles but by a wide variety of absorption may in reality be the necessary structures which, in the case of blockage lower processes of ionic readjustment which keep the down, the exceedingly complex passages leading fluid at a constant state of equilibrium and to the points of absorption in the arachnoid villi, remove from it intruding and perhaps dangerous went on in a singluarly stupid manner producing contaminants. Much attention has been devoted excessive amounts of fluid which destroved the to the movements of the cilia which serve to re- parenchyma of the brain and produced hydro- move cellular debris such as red cell corpuscles cephalus without being constrained in any way by from the surface of the plexus and to mix up the nervous or humoral control. Because of its freshly produced fluid with that of an older vin- inrinsic importance in the neurosurgery of tage in the ventricles. That this mixing process hydrocephalus the choroid plexus is the first may have wider imp!ications is something I will C8VO I will be considering. be mentioning at the end of my lecture. Two years ago the scanning electron micro- The choroid plexuses scope was used to examine occluded ventricular There are choroid plexuses in the lateral, third, catheters removed at operations for shunt revision and fourth ventricles of the brain, but the surface in hydrocephalic children (5). In 10 of the speci- The circumventnicular organs of the brain: their role as possible sitesforfuture neurosurgey 311 mens examined the catheter was plugged with About 30 years ago the late Dr James Millen what was undoubtedly choroid plexus (Fig. 2) and I discovered a technique for producing and this enabled pictures to be obtained of the hydrocephalus in the rabbit without interfering freshest choroid plexus of human origin which surgically with the animal (6). The hydrocephalic had been studied up to then (Fig. 3). It is worth infant rabbit owed its hydrocephalus to one fact while viewing some of these pictures because they and one fact only - its mother was fed on a diet do illustrate the basic simplicity of form of the deficient in vitamin A during the 20-30 weeks organ we call a choroid plexus and at the same preceding pregnancy. One animal showed time show the vast number of replications of its interest because the hydrocephalic brain had basic pattern. The first picture (Fig. 3a) shows a broken out under the skin, only the tough scanning electron micrograph of material from pyramidal tract of the major cerebral structures inside a catheter, which is clearly choroid plexus. having survived the intracerebral pressure. It is At a higher magnification both filiform and extremely unfortunate that no neurosurgeon has clavate microvilli are clearly visible and a Kolmer taken up vitamin A-induced hydrocephalus (7) in cell (ventricular macrophage tracks across the a big way in an attempt to further our knowledge picture) (Fig. 3b). not only of the natural history of hydrocephalus It is possible that straight histological studies of but also of the true functions of the choroid this kind can provide information of use to the plexus.
Recommended publications
  • Transcription of SCO-Spondin in the Subcommissural Organ: Evidence for Down-Regulation Mediated by Serotonin
    Molecular Brain Research 129 (2004) 151–162 www.elsevier.com/locate/molbrainres Research report Transcription of SCO-spondin in the subcommissural organ: evidence for down-regulation mediated by serotonin Hans G. Richtera,*, Marı´a M. Tome´b, Carlos R. Yulisa, Karin J. Vı´oa, Antonio J. Jime´nezb, Jose´M.Pe´rez-Fı´garesb, Esteban M. Rodrı´gueza aInstituto de Histologı´a y Patologı´a, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile bDepartamento de Biologı´a Celular y Gene´tica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Ma´laga, Spain Accepted 7 July 2004 Available online 13 August 2004 Abstract The subcommissural organ (SCO) is a brain gland located in the roof of the third ventricle that releases glycoproteins into the cerebrospinal fluid, where they form a structure known as Reissner’s fiber (RF). On the basis of SCO-spondin sequence (the major RF glycoprotein) and experimental findings, the SCO has been implicated in central nervous system development; however, its function(s) after birth remain unclear. There is evidence suggesting that SCO activity in adult animals may be regulated by serotonin (5HT). The use of an anti-5HT serum showed that the bovine SCO is heterogeneously innervated with most part being poorly innervated, whereas the rat SCO is richly innervated throughout. Antibodies against serotonin receptor subtype 2A rendered a strong immunoreaction at the ventricular cell pole of the bovine SCO cells and revealed the expected polypeptides in blots of fresh and organ-cultured bovine SCO. Analyses of organ-cultured bovine SCO treated with 5HT revealed a twofold decrease of both SCO-spondin mRNA level and immunoreactive RF glycoproteins, whereas no effect on release of RF glycoproteins into the culture medium was detected.
    [Show full text]
  • Distribution of Gb3 Immunoreactivity in the Mouse Central Nervous System
    Toxins 2010, 2, 1997-2006; doi:10.3390/toxins2081997 OPEN ACCESS toxins ISSN 2072-6651 www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins Article Distribution of Gb3 Immunoreactivity in the Mouse Central Nervous System Fumiko Obata * and Tom Obrig Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 W. Baltimore St. HSFI suite 380, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; E-Mail: [email protected] * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-410-706-6916; Fax: +1-410-706-2129. Received: 25 June 2010 / Accepted: 1 August 2010 / Published: 4 August 2010 Abstract: We have shown previously that neurons in the mouse spinal cord express Gb3. We show in this article that distribution of anti-Gb3-Ab reactivity occurs in many different types of neurons of different areas of the central nervous system (CNS). The immunoreactive neurons are in olfactory bulbs, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, striatum, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata. In several different circumventricular organs where vessels do not have the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) structure, anti-Gb3-Ab is not positive for vessel structures, while neurons at these regions are positive. Also, within the ventricular area, ependymal cells in the third ventricle express Gb3, as revealed by anti-Gb3-Ab staining and intensity analysis. Keywords: globotriaosylceramide (Gb3); neuron; circumventricular organs (CVO); ependymal cells 1. Introduction In Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections, a broad spectrum of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms occurs (abbreviations used in this article are listed in Table 1). Those symptoms include cortical blindness, poor fine-motor coordination, seizures and coma [1–13].
    [Show full text]
  • Telencephalic Connections in the Pacific Hagfish (Eptatretus Stouti)
    THE JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY 395:245–260 (1998) Telencephalic Connections in the Pacific Hagfish (Eptatretus stouti), With Special Reference to the Thalamopallial System HELMUT WICHT1* AND R. GLENN NORTHCUTT2 1Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universita¨t, Dr. Senckenbergische Anatomie, Institut fu¨ r Anatomie II (Experimentelle Neurobiologie), Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany 2Neurobiology Unit, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 9203-0201 ABSTRACT The pallium of hagfishes (myxinoids) is unique: It consists of a superficial ‘‘cortical’’ mantle of gray matter which is subdivided into several layers and fields, but it is not clear whether or how these subdivisions can be compared to those of other craniates, i.e., lampreys and gnathostomes. The pallium of hagfishes receives extensive secondary olfactory projec- tions (Wicht and Northcutt [1993] J. Comp. Neurol. 337:529–542), but there are no experimental data on its nonolfactory connections. We therefore investigated the pallial and dorsal thalamic connections of the Pacific hagfish. Injections of tracers into the pallium labeled many cells bilaterally in the olfactory bulbs. Other pallial afferents arise from the contralateral pallium, the dorsal thalamic nuclei, the preoptic region, and the posterior tubercular nuclei. Descending pallial efferents reach the preoptic region, the dorsal thalamus, and the mesencephalic tectum but not the motor or premotor centers of the brainstem. Injections of tracers into the dorsal thalamus confirmed the presence of reciprocal thalamopal- lial connections. In addition, these injections revealed that there is no ‘‘preferred’’ pallial target for the ascending thalamic fibers; instead, ascending thalamic and secondary olfactory projections overlap throughout the pallium.
    [Show full text]
  • Differential Expression of Five Prosomatostatin Genes in the Central Nervous System of the Catshark Scyliorhinus Canicula
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/823187; this version posted October 30, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Differential expression of five prosomatostatin genes in the central nervous system of the catshark Scyliorhinus canicula Daniel Sobrido-Cameán1, Herve Tostivint2, Sylvie Mazan3, María Celina Rodicio1, Isabel Rodríguez-Moldes1, Eva Candal1, Ramón Anadón1,*, Antón Barreiro-Iglesias1,* 1Department of Functional Biology, CIBUS, Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2Molecular Physiology and Adaptation. CNRS UMR7221, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France 3CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Biologie intégrative des organismes marins (UMR7232- BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls sur Mer, France *Should be considered joint senior authors. Corresponding author: Dr. Antón Barreiro-Iglesias, Department of Functional Biology, CIBUS, Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain email: [email protected] Running title: Somatostatin transcripts in the catshark CNS. Acknowledgements: Grant sponsors: Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Regional Development Fund 2007-2013 (Grant number: BFU-2017-87079-P to MCR). Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) grant NEMO no ANR-14-CE02-0020-01 (to HT). 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/823187; this version posted October 30, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. ABSTRACT Five prosomatostatin genes (PSST1, PSST2, PSST3, PSST5 and PSST6) have been recently identified in elasmobranchs (Tostivint, Gaillard, Mazan, & Pézeron, 2019).
    [Show full text]
  • Neural Input and Neural Control of the Subcommissural Organ
    MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE 52:520–533 (2001) Neural Input and Neural Control of the Subcommissural Organ 1 2 1 ANTONIO J. JIME´ NEZ, * PEDRO FERNA´ NDEZ-LLEBREZ, AND JOSE MANUEL PE´ REZ-FI´GARES 1Departamento de Biologı´a Celular y Gene´tica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Ma´laga, Ma´laga, Spain 2Departamento de Biologı´a Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Ma´laga, Ma´laga, Spain KEY WORDS serotonin; GABA; monoamines; pineal organ ABSTRACT The neural control of the subcommissural organ (SCO) has been partially character- ized. The best known input is an important serotonergic innervation in the SCO of several mammals. In the rat, this innervation comes from raphe nuclei and appears to exert an inhibitory effect on the SCO activity. A GABAergic innervation has also been shown in the SCO of the rat and frog Rana perezi. In the rat, GABA and the enzyme glutamate decarboxylase are involved in the SCO innervation. GABA is taken up by some secretory ependymocytes and nerve terminals, coexisting with serotonin in a population of synaptic terminals. Dopamine, noradrenaline, and different neuropeptides such as LH- RH, vasopressin, vasotocin, oxytocin, mesotocin, substance P, ␣-neoendorphin, and galanin are also involved in SCO innervation. In the bovine SCO, an important number of fibers containing tyrosine hydroxylase are present, indicating that in this species dopamine and/or noradrenaline-containing fibers are an important neural input. In Rana perezi, a GABAergic innervation of pineal origin could explain the influence of light on the SCO secretory activity in frogs. A general conclusion is that the SCO cells receive neural inputs from different neurotransmitter systems.
    [Show full text]
  • 54 Cerebellarcerebral Cortex
    Cerebellar and Cerebral Cortex The cerebellar and cerebral hemispheres differ from the spinal cord in that the gray matter is located at the periphery and the white matter lies centrally. Both regions of the brain consist of an outer cortex of gray matter and a subcortical region of white matter. Cerebral Cortex The cerebral cortex is 1.5 to 4.0 mm thick and contains about 50 billion neurons plus nerve processes and supporting glial cells. In all but a few regions it is characterized by a laminated appearance. Perikarya generally are organized into five layers. Starting at the periphery of the cerebral cortex, the general organization of neurons is molecular layer (I), external granular layer (II), external pyramidal layer (III), internal granular layer (IV), internal pyramidal layer (V), and multiform layer (VI). The molecular layer (I) is a largely perikaryon-free zone just below the surface of the cortex. Neurons of similar type tend to occupy the same layer in the cerebral cortex, although each cellular layer is composed of several different cell types. For convenience of description, these neurons often are placed in two major groups: pyramidal cells and stellate or nonpyramidal cells. The perikarya of pyramidal cells are pyramidal in shape and have large apical dendrites that usually are oriented toward the surface of the cerebral cortex and enter the overlying layers; the single axons enter the subcortical white matter. They are found in layers II, III, V, and, to a lesser extent, layer VI. Very large pyramid-shaped neurons (Betz cells) are present in the internal pyramidal layer (V) of the frontal lobe.
    [Show full text]
  • Pial Surface CSF-Contacting Texture, Subpial and Funicular Plexus in the Thoracic Spinal Cord in Monkey: NADPH Diaphorase Histological Configuration
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.30.927509; this version posted January 31, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC 4.0 International license. Pial surface CSF-contacting texture, subpial and funicular plexus in the thoracic spinal cord in monkey: NADPH diaphorase histological configuration Yinhua Li1#, Wei Hou1#, Yunge Jia1#, Xiaoxin Wen1, Chenxu Rao1, Ximeng Xu1, Zichun Wei1, Lu Bai1, Huibing Tan1,2* 1 Department of Anatomy, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121001, China 2 Department of Neurobiology, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121001, China Running title: Funicular neurons in monkey thoracic spinal cord * Correspondence: Department of Anatomy, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121001, China, [email protected] # The first three authors make equal contributions to this work. Abstract In spinal cord, white matter is distinguished from grey matter in that it contains ascending and descending axonal tracts. While grey matter gets concentrated with neuronal cell bodies. Notable cell bodies and sensory modality of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in white matter are still elusive in certain segment of the spinal cord. Monkey Spinal cord was examined by NADPH diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry. We found that NADPH-d positive neurons clustered and featured flat plane in mediolateral funiculus in caudal thoracic and rostral lumber spinal cord, especially evident in the horizontal sections. Majority of NADPH-d funicular neurons were relatively large size and moderately- or lightly-stained neurons.
    [Show full text]
  • The Value of Early and Comprehensive Diagnoses in a Human Fetus With
    Washington University School of Medicine Digital Commons@Becker Open Access Publications 2016 The value of early and comprehensive diagnoses in a human fetus with hydrocephalus and progressive obliteration of the aqueduct of Sylvius: Case Report Eduardo Ortega Universidad Austral de Chile Rosa I. Munoz Universidad Austral de Chile Nelly Luza Universidad Austral de Chile Francisco Geurra Universidad Austral de Chile Monserrat Guerra Universidad Austral de Chile See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/open_access_pubs Recommended Citation Ortega, Eduardo; Munoz, Rosa I.; Luza, Nelly; Geurra, Francisco; Guerra, Monserrat; Vio, Karin; Henzi, Roberto; Jaque, Jaime; Rodriguez, Sara; McAllister, James P.; and Rodriguez, Esteban, ,"The aluev of early and comprehensive diagnoses in a human fetus with hydrocephalus and progressive obliteration of the aqueduct of Sylvius: Case Report." BMC Neurology.16,. 45. (2016). https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/open_access_pubs/4835 This Open Access Publication is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons@Becker. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Becker. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Authors Eduardo Ortega, Rosa I. Munoz, Nelly Luza, Francisco Geurra, Monserrat Guerra, Karin Vio, Roberto Henzi, Jaime Jaque, Sara Rodriguez, James P. McAllister, and Esteban Rodriguez This open access publication is available at Digital Commons@Becker: https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/open_access_pubs/4835 Ortega et al. BMC Neurology (2016) 16:45 DOI 10.1186/s12883-016-0566-7 CASE REPORT Open Access The value of early and comprehensive diagnoses in a human fetus with hydrocephalus and progressive obliteration of the aqueduct of Sylvius: Case Report Eduardo Ortega1, Rosa I.
    [Show full text]
  • Brain Research, 162 (1979) 219-230 219 ((:~ Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press
    Brain Research, 162 (1979) 219-230 219 ((:~ Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press RETINOFUGAL PATHWAYS IN FETAL AND ADULT SPINY DOGFISH, Squalus acanthias R. GLENN NORTHCUTT Division of Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48109 (U.S.A.) (Accepted June 15th, 1978) SUMMARY Retinofugal pathways in fetal and adult spiny dogfish were determined by intra- ocular injection of [3H]proline for autoradiography. Distribution and termination of the primary retinal efferents were identical in pups and adults. The retinal fibers decussate completely, except for a sparse ipsilateral projection to the caudal preoptic area. The decussating optic fibers terminate ventrally in the preoptic area and in two rostral thalamic areas, a lateral neuropil area of the dorsal thalamus and more ventrally in the lateral half of the ventral thalamus. At this same rostral thalamic level, a second optic pathway, the medial optic tract, splits from the lateral marginal optic tract and courses dorsomedially to terminate in the rostral tectum and the central and peri- ventricular pretectal nuclei. The marginal optic tract continues caudally to terminate in a superficial pretectal nucleus and also innervates the superficial zone of the optic tectum. A basal optic tract arises from the ventral edge of the marginal optic tract and courses medially into the central pretectal nucleus, as well as continuing more caudally to terminate in a dorsal neuropil adjacent to nucleus interstitialis and in a more ventrally and medially located basal optic nucleus. Comparison of the retinofugal projections of Squalus with those of other sharks reveals two grades of neural organization with respect to primary visual projections.
    [Show full text]
  • Role of the Subcommissural Organ in the Pathogenesis of Congenital Hydrocephalus in the Htx Rat
    Cell Tissue Res (2013) 352:707–725 DOI 10.1007/s00441-013-1615-9 REGULAR ARTICLE Role of the subcommissural organ in the pathogenesis of congenital hydrocephalus in the HTx rat Alexander R. Ortloff & Karin Vío & Montserrat Guerra & Katherine Jaramillo & Thilo Kaehne & Hazel Jones & James P. McAllister II & Esteban Rodríguez Received: 12 November 2012 /Accepted: 8 March 2013 /Published online: 4 May 2013 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 Abstract The present investigation was designed to clarify nanoLC-ESI-MS/MS. A distinct malformation of the SCO is the role of the subcommissural organ (SCO) in the pathogen- present as early as E15. Since stenosis of the Sylvius aqueduct esis of hydrocephalus occurring in the HTx rat. The brains of (SA) occurs at E18 and dilation of the lateral ventricles starts non-affected and hydrocephalic HTx rats from embryonic day at E19, the malformation of the SCO clearly precedes the 15 (E15) to postnatal day 10 (PN10) were processed for onset of hydrocephalus. In the affected rats, the cephalic and electron microscopy, lectin binding and immunocytochemis- caudal thirds of the SCO showed high secretory activity with try by using a series of antibodies. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) all methods used, whereas the middle third showed no signs of samples of non-affected and hydrocephalic HTx rats were secretion. At E18, the middle non-secretory third of the SCO collected at PN1, PN7 and PN30 and analysed by one- and progressively fused with the ventral wall of SA, resulting in two-dimensional electrophoresis, immunoblotting and marked aqueduct stenosis and severe hydrocephalus. The abnormal development of the SCO resulted in the permanent absence of Reissner’s fibre (RF) and led to changes in the A.R.
    [Show full text]
  • Estivill-Torr S Pm
    Int. J. Dev. Biol. 45 (S1): S75-S76 (2001) Short Report PAX6 and MSX1, two homeobox genes involved in the development of the subcommissural organ GUILLERMO ESTIVILL-TORRÚS 1,2, MANUEL FCO. LÓPEZ-ARANDA1, JESÚS M. GRONDONA1, ANTOINE BACH3, BENOîT ROBERT3, TANIA VITALIS2, DAVID J. PRICE2, CASTO RAMOS4, EDUARDO SORIANO4 and PEDRO FERNÁNDEZ-LLEBREZ*1 1 Laboratorio de Fisiología Animal, Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, España, 2Developmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh, UK, 3Unité Génetique Moléculaire de la Morphogenèse and CNRS URA 1947, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France and 4Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Barcelona ABSTRACT During mouse central nervous system (CNS) (Rodríguez and Yulis, 2001) and the SCO location, have leaded us development, the homeobox -containing genes Pax6 and Msx1, to hypothesize a interrelationship between the SCO and the poste- have a spatial and temporal restricted expression in the CNS and rior commissure formation. The development and establishment of craniofacial skeleton. Both genes are highly expressed in the glial segments and boundaries patterning the CNS, depend on spatial secretory cells that forms the subcommissural organ (SCO), a and temporal restricted expression of regulatory genes encoding circumventricular organ located at the forebrain-midbrain boundary, numerous proliferation and differentiation factors. SCO develop- in the pretectal dorsal midline neuroepithelium beneath the posterior ment depends on the expression of such genes. To present, some commissure. Pax6 (Small eye, Sey/Sey) and Msx1 (-/-) null mutants of them have been reported to be expressed in the pretectal region homozygous fail to develop the SCO and a normal posterior commis- or its neighbourhood, being good candidates to control SCO and/or sure.
    [Show full text]
  • The Nuclear Pattern of the Non-Tectal Portions of the Midbrain and Isthmus in Ungtjlates
    THE NUCLEAR PATTERN OF THE NON-TECTAL PORTIONS OF THE MIDBRAIN AND ISTHMUS IN UNGTJLATES LOIS A. GILLILAN Dr. Louis Merwin Gelston Fellow, Mrdical School, Universzty of Mickigan, Ann Arbor Department of Anatomy, University of Ptttsburgh, Pennsylvania TWENTY-SIX PLATES (TWENTY-SIX FIGURES) INTRODUCTION The material used for this study of the midbrain of the 16 cin pig (Sus scrofa), the adult sheep (Ovis aries) and the old horse (Equus caballus) consists of serially cut, transverse, toluidin blue sections. For the generous grant which made possible this research the writer wishes to express grateful acknowlcdgmeiit to the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies of the University of Michigan. Very little literature dealing with the ungulate midbrain has come to our attention. Papers by Solnitzsky ( '38 and '39) deal with the dorsal thalamic, subthalamic, and hypothalamic regions of the pig brain; they contain accounts of the pre- tectal regions, substantia nigra and the rostra1 tip of the red nucleus. Rose ('42 b) has found that the pretectal nucleus in the sheep is represented by two groups of cells. Le Gros Clark ( '26) observed that the Edinger-Westphal nucleus in the sheep was little differentiated, and in the pig th'e cells were only slightly different from the small medial raphe cells with which they become continuous anteriorly. The Edinger-Westphal nucleus in the pig is mostly a midline structure with only occasional bilateral clumping. Tsuchida ( '06) found no Edinger-Westphal nucleus in the sheep and in the horse a few scattered cells only. He observed no nucleus medianns anterior and no true nucleus of Perlia; in the horse no nucleus of 289 290 G.
    [Show full text]