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Ependymal tables designated for differentiation of the ependyma based on the adjacent periventricular structures

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Abstract

The ependyma, lining of the brain ventricular system, is a heterogeneous structure. The brain ventricles, including the lateral-, third-, fourth-, and mesencephalic ones and cerebral aqueduct, are covered by a single uninterrupted layer, composed of squamous to columnar ependymocytes, possessing cilia, microvilli or cytoplasmic protrusions. Small ependymal areas are considered to be functionally different and therefore, accurate and systematic classification of ependymal areas might be helpful to perform mutual comparisons of the same types of ependymal areas under different experimental conditions. Thus, the aim of the present study was to create an anatomical guide that will be able to offer an easy and repeatable technique for the selection of anatomically precisely identified small ependymal areas. For this purpose, the periventricular structures, as a stable part of brain, localized most closely to the brain ventricle walls, were chosen as reference points. Classification of the ependymal areas is presented in a form of tables, i.e. ependymal tables, which prevent of an interchange of different types of ependymal areas, avoiding of their misinterpretation. Each table brings all the information needed to localize the selected ependymal sector in 5 columns, indicating: (1) the number of the frontal sections; (2) the labelling of the ventricle walls; (3) Latin names of the periventricular structures; (4) abbreviations of the periventricular structures; and (5) the final designation of the selected ependymal areas. The final designation of a small ependymal area is composed of several letters (e.g., “LvE-ca”, where Lv = lateral ventricle, E = ependyma, and ca = caudate nucleus). The proposed anatomical classification of the ependymal lining represents an original approach with more unambiguous classification of ependymal areas than is only a structural naming of ependyma. This anatomical guide will be helpful in performing of an accurate mutual comparison of the same types of ependymal areas under different experimental conditions as well as a possibility to compare mutually the data from different morphological/biochemical studies.

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Abbreviations

ac:

adrenalis cellulae (adrenergic cells)

ap:

area postrema (area postrema)

ar:

area retrochiasmatica (retrochiasmatic area)

ca:

nucleus caudatus (caudate nucleus)

cc:

corpus callosum (corpus callosum)

em:

eminentia medialis (medial eminence)

f:

fastigium (fastigium)

fh:

fimbria hippocampi (fimbria of hippocampus)

fi:

foramen interventriculare (interventricular foramen)

h:

hippocampus (hippocampus)

hl:

nucleus habenularis lateralis (lateral habenular nucleus)

hm:

nucleus habenularis medialis (medial habenular nucleus)

lc:

locus coeruleus (locus coeruleus)

na:

nucleus arcuatus (arcuate nucleus)

nac:

nucleus accumbens (accumbens nucleus)

nah:

nucleus anterior hypothalami (anterior hypothalamic nucleus)

nbla:

nucleus basalis lateralis amygdalae (basolateral amygdaloid nucleus)

ncp:

nucleus cochlearis posterior (posterior cochlear nucleus)

ndm:

nucleus dorsomedialis (dorsomedial nucleus)

nist:

nucleus interstitialis striae terminalis (bed nucleus of the stria terminalis)

nmm:

nucleus mammillaris medialis (medial nucleus of the mammillar body)

np:

nucleus praepositus (prepositus nucleus)

npep:

nucleus periventricularis posterior (posterior periventricular nucleus)

npev:

nucleus periventricularis ventralis (anterior periventricular nucleus)

nph:

nucleus posterior hypothalami (posterior nucleus of the hypothalamus)

npm:

nucleus praeopticus medialis (medial preoptic nucleus)

npmd:

nucleus premammillaris dorsalis (dorsal premammillary nucleus)

npmv:

nucleus premammillaris ventralis (ventral premammillary nucleus)

npp:

nucleus praeopticus periventricularis (periventricular preoptic nucleus)

npt:

nucleus parataenialis (parataenial nucleus)

npv:

nucleus paraventricularis hypothalami (paraventricular nucleus)

npvt:

nucleus paraventricularis thalami (paraventricular nucleus of thalamus)

nr:

nucleus raphes (nuclei raphes)

nsc:

nucleus suprachiasmaticus (suprachiasmatic nucleus)

nsd:

nucleus septalis dorsalis (dorsal septal nucleus)

nsg:

nucleus suprageniculatus (suprageniculate nucleus)

nsl:

nucleus septalis lateralis (lateral septal nucleus)

nsm:

nucleus septalis medialis (medial septal nucleus)

nsu:

nucleus supramammillaris (supramammillary nucleus)

ntp:

nucleus tegmentalis posterior (posterior tegmental nucleus)

ntpl:

nucleus tegmentalis posterolateralis (posterolateral tegmental nucleus)

nts:

nuclei tractus solitarius (nuclei of the solitary tract)

nvm:

nucleus ventromedialis hypothalami (ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus)

nvs:

nucleus vestibularis superior (superior vestibular nucleus)

o:

obex (obex)

ovlt:

organum vasculosum laminae terminalis (vascular organ of the lamina terminalis)

p:

putamen (putamen)

pt:

nucleus parataenialis (parataenial nucleus)

ri:

recessus infundibulais (infundibular recess)

rl:

recessus lateralis (lateral recess)

rp:

recessus pinealis (pineal recess)

rt:

recessus triangularis (triangular nucleus)

sco:

organun subcommissurale (subcommissural organ)

sfo:

organun subfornicale (subfornical organ)

sgc:

substantia grisea centralis (periaqueductal gray substance)

smv:

velum medullare superius (superior medullary velum)

tvq:

tegmentum ventriculi quarti (roof of the fourth ventricle).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, SK-84510, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Alexander Mitro

  2. Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, SK-84510, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Alexander Kiss

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Mitro, A., Kiss, A. Ependymal tables designated for differentiation of the ependyma based on the adjacent periventricular structures. Biologia 71, 603–611 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2016-0071

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2016-0071

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