Change of neural stem cells in the choroid plexuses of developing rat

Neural stem cells reside in various brain regions. However, neural stem cells in the choroid plexuses are poorly understood. This study was conducted to corroborate the hypotheses that there are neural stem cells in the choroid plexuses, and the change of neural stem cells is age dependent. We examined neural stem cells from rats at postnatal 1, 3, 7 days, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks to investigate the distribution and change of the cells in the choroid plexuses. We found nestin-positive cells in the choroid plexuses and these nestin-expressing cells were located principally at the boundary between the choroid plexus epithelium and the underlying connective tissue stroma. Some choroid plexuses of the postnatal 1-, 3-, 7-day, and 2-week rats were stained with line-like markers of nestin. We also observed nestin-positive cells in 4-week rats, but no such cells were detected in the 6- and 8-week rats. These findings indicate that neural stem cells exist in the rat choroid plexuses, and the change of neural stem cells is age-dependent.