Abstract
The barriers separating plasma from brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are complex systems involving passive and active transport and subserve a number of important functions (Rall, 1964). The formation and accumulation of CSF serves to provide a hydraulic cushion to float and protect the brain from mechanical injury. The barrier to free transport of various substrates maintains a very tight rein on the concentration of inorganic ions such as calcium, magnesium and potassium within the CSF and the extracellular fluid of the brain (Bradbury, 1965; Cserr, 1965; Oppelt et al., 1963a; Oppelt et al., 1963b), thereby profoundly influencing neuronal excitability. The boundary between plasma and the central nervous system (CNS) is much less permeable than that between plasma and other tissue cells to a variety of water soluble substances, including organic acids, bases and other large molecules such as proteins. Lastly, the barrier provides a path for clearance from deep within the brain of breakdown products of cellular metabolism (Rall, 1967b).
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Rall, D.P. (1971). Drug Entry into Brain and Cerebrospinal Fluid. In: Brodie, B.B., Gillette, J.R., Ackerman, H.S. (eds) Concepts in Biochemical Pharmacology. Handbuch der experimentellen Pharmakologie/Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 28 / 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65052-9_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65052-9_12
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