title: Occurrence and colocalization of surfactant proteins A, B, C and D in the developing and adult rat brain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surfactant proteins (SP's) have been described as inherent proteins of the human central nervous system (CNS). Their distribution pattern in brain tissue and altered cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) - concentrations in different CNS pathologies are indicative of their immunological and rheological importance. The aim of this study has been to investigate when - compared to the lungs - SP's are expressed in the developing rat brain and which functional components in the CNS participate in their production.
  
  
  METHODS
  Brain and lung tissue from embryonal (days 10, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 20), newborn, and adult rats were harvested and investigated for expression of SP-A, SP-B, SP-C and SP-D using immunofluorescence microscopy in order to identify and compare the time points of their occurence in the respective tissue. To better identify the location of SP expression in the rat brain, SP's were colocalized with use of an astrocyte marker (GFAP), a neuronal marker (NeuN), an endothelial marker (CD31) and an axonal marker (NF).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SP-A and SP-C are expressed in the CNS of rats during early embryonic age whereas SP-B and SP-D are first present in the adult rat brain. All SP's are expressed in cells adjacent to CSF spaces, probably influencing and maintaining physiological CSF flow. SP's A and C are abundant at the site of the blood brain barrier (BBB).
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: Stefan.Schob@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schob
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dieckow
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fehrenbach
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Peukert
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kluth
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, University Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Thome
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Quäschling
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lacher
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Preuß
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015415:Biomarkers; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011247:Pregnancy; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins
keywords: Blood brain barrier; Central nervous system; Cerebrospinal fluid; Development; Lung; Occurence; Surfactant protein