Response of the fetal rat brain to trauma during the 17th to 21st days of gestation.
Ultrasonography has made it possible to diagnose abnormalities of the human central nervous system early in pregnancy. However, more needs to be known about the response of the fetal brain before the mother and fetus are subjected to the risks of complex neurosurgical procedures. This study investigated the effects of trauma on fetal rat brains during a period equivalent to the early part of the second trimester of human pregnancy. Trauma inflicted on the fetal rat brains caused haemorrhage and necrosis of the cerebral hemisphere, which was not followed by significant regeneration of neural tissue. This preliminary study suggests that it cannot be assumed that the fetal brain will regenerate itself after injury, and that this should be considered when making plans for operative procedures on the central nervous system in utero.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000196:embryology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D003560:Cysts / Q000151:congenital / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains