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Glymphatic solute transport does not require bulk flow.
Mahdi Asgari1,2, Diane de Zélicourt1, Vartan Kurtcuoglu1,2,3
1The Interface Group, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Scientific Reports
|December 9, 2016
Summary
Arterial pulsation does not drive bulk brain fluid flow but may enhance solute transport via dispersion in the para-arterial space, reconciling diffusion and bulk flow hypotheses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biophysics
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Fast tracer transport in mouse brains suggests bulk flow from arterial to venous paravascular spaces (PVS).
- Contrasting evidence points to diffusion as the primary mechanism for interstitial solute transport.
- Astrocyte networks and diffusive extracellular transport may reconcile these views, but a driving force remains unidentified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate arterial pulsation as the driving force for hypothesized bulk fluid flow in the brain's interstitial space.
- To determine the mechanism behind fast para-arterial solute transport.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of fluid dynamics and solute transport models.
- Evaluation of arterial pulsation effects on interstitial and para-arterial spaces.
Main Results:
- Arterial pulsation from pulse wave propagation is unlikely to be the primary driving force for bulk interstitial water flow.
- Arterial pulsation can facilitate rapid solute transport along para-arterial spaces through dispersion (mixing and diffusion).
Conclusions:
- The study challenges the role of arterial pulsation as the main driver of bulk interstitial flow.
- Dispersion, driven by arterial pulsation, offers a plausible explanation for fast para-arterial solute transport, integrating existing transport models.
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