Journal of the neurological sciences
-
A suspension of kaolin was injected into the cisterna magna of 44 rats at 2 weeks of age. Animals killed at intervals from 5--19 weeks of age showed varying degrees of hydrocephalus. Light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed stretching and flattening of the ependymal cells but no significant loss of cilia. ⋯ The greatest proliferation was in the dorsal and lateral walls of the ventricles which were the regions most severely stretched by the ventricular dilatation. There is evidence that subependymal cells differentiate into astrocytes and microglia so that proliferation of these cells may be interpreted as a response to continuing and progressive brain damage in chronic hydrocephalus. Such progressive tissue damage could adversely affect the developing brain.