Fluorescenzmikroskopische Untersuchungen über den Stofftransport zwischen Ventrikelliquor und Gehirn

Summary

In anaesthetized cats the cerebral ventricles were perfused from a cannulated lateral ventricle to the middle of the aquaeduct with a solution 1∶5000 of 3,6-diaminoacridinetrihydrochloride. Its penetration into the walls of the cerebral ventricles after perfusion for 30 min was determined by means of fluorescence microscopy.

• 1. A technique for studying the fluorescence of 3,6-diaminoacridinetrihydrochloride in large paraffin sections is described. The method includes fixation of the tissue by perfusion of Bouin's fluid from the vascular tree and treatment of the deparaffinized sections with potassium metabisulphite which renders the fluorescence stable even if prolonged illumination with the ultraviolet light is required.

• 2. In the brain tissue, 3,6-diaminoacridinetrihydrochloride causes strong fluorescence of the cell nuclei, of the processes of ependymal cells and fibrous astrocytes, and, in nerve cells, of cytoplasmic constituents such as the Nissl bodies.

• 3. Deep penetration occurs in those regions of the ventricular wall which consist of grey matter mainly, e.g. hypothalamus, septum pellucidum, hippocampus and periaqueductal grey.

• 4. Shallow penetration occurs in those regions of the ventricular wall which consist of white matter, e.g. corpus callosum, fimbria and lateral wall of the lateral ventricle.

• 5. There is little uptake of 3,6-diaminoacridinetrihydrochloride into the floor of the third ventricle where it is formed by the infundibular recess.

• 6. The hypophysis and the pineal gland behave differently with regard to the uptake of 3,6-diaminoacridinetrihydrochloride. No penetration into the tissue of the posterior lobe of the hypophysis is seen whereas the tissue of the pineal gland is deeply penetrated.

• 7. There is deep penetration into the subcommissural organ and into the subfornical organ.

• 8. The advantages and limitations of the fluorescence method for studying the uptake of substances from the csf into the brain tissue are discussed.

• 9. The possible cellular mechanisms involved in the transport of substances from the csf through the ependyma and into the depth of the brain tissue are discussed, and it is shown that no explanation can yet be advanced which would account for all the phenomena observed in the present experiments.