The nature of the decrease in blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier exchange during postnatal brain development in the rat.
1. The blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exchange of a wide range of passively transported lipid insoluble compounds (0.43-5.4 nm molecular radius) has been investigated in rats at different stages of postnatal development (2 days old to adult). A novel 'litter-based' model for investigating blood-CSF barrier exchange in immature animals is described. 2. At each age investigated there was a clear inverse correlation between molecular radius and blood-CSF barrier exchange, in addition to an overall decrease in blood-CSF barrier exchange with increasing age. 3. The decrease in blood-CSF barrier exchange with age was not consistent with a reduction in pore diameters, nor does it appear to be due to an increase in the CSF sink effect with age. It seems likely to be due to a relative decrease in the number of a population of large diameter pores.
Habgood
M D
MD
Clinical Neurological Sciences (Developmental) Group, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Southampton General Hospital.
Knott
G W
GW
Dziegielewska
K M
KM
Saunders
N R
NR
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D004058:Diffusion; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D007444:Inulin / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008954:Models, Biological; D010539:Permeability; D051381:Rats; D012995:Solubility; D013395:Sucrose / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013395:Sucrose; D007444:Inulin