Evidence for novel age-dependent network structures as a putative primo vascular network in the dura mater of the rat brain.
With chromium-hematoxylin staining, we found evidence for the existence of novel age-dependent network structures in the dura mater of rat brains. Under stereomicroscopy, we noticed that chromium-hematoxylin-stained threadlike structures, which were barely observable in 1-week-old rats, were networked in specific areas of the brain, for example, the lateral lobes and the cerebella, in 4-week-old rats. In 7-week-old rats, those structures were found to have become larger and better networked. With phase contrast microscopy, we found that in 1-week-old rats, chromium-hematoxylin-stained granules were scattered in the same areas of the brain in which the network structures would later be observed in the 4- and 7-week-old rats. Such age-dependent network structures were examined by using optical and transmission electron microscopy, and the following results were obtained. The scattered granules fused into networks with increasing age. Cross-sections of the age-dependent network structures demonstrated heavily-stained basophilic substructures. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the basophilic substructures to be clusters with high electron densities consisting of nanosized particles. We report these data as evidence for the existence of age-dependent network structures in the dura mater, we discuss their putative functions of age-dependent network structures beyond the general concept of the dura mater as a supporting matrix.
Ki Primo Research Laboratory, Division of Electrical Engineering, KAIST Institute for Information Technology Convergence, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea ; Nadi Primo Research Institute, Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, Sun Moon University, Asan-si, Korea.
Ho-Sung
HS
Lee
Pharmacopuncture Medical Research Center, Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute, Seoul, Korea.
Dai-In
DI
Kang
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
Seung Zhoo
SZ
Yoon
Acupuncture, Moxibustion & Meridian Research Group, Medical Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Yeon Hee
YH
Ryu
Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Inhyung
I
Lee
Faculty of Liberal Education, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Hoon-Gi
HG
Kim
Ki Primo Research Laboratory, Division of Electrical Engineering, KAIST Institute for Information Technology Convergence, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea.
Byung-Cheon
BC
Lee
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea.
Ki Bog
KB
Lee
brain; chromium-hematoxylin staining; dura mater; fascia; hormone; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; primo vascular system