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Published on: November 24, 2017
Monoamine alterations during experimental hydrocephalus in neonatal rats
G I Chovanes1, J P McAllister, A A Lamperti
1Department of Neurosurgery, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Neurosurgery
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Infantile hydrocephalus significantly alters brain monoamine levels, decreasing norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin in key regions. These changes impact neuronal function and development, potentially affecting hydrocephalus treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Infantile hydrocephalus is a condition characterized by excessive cerebrospinal fluid accumulation in the brain.
- Understanding the neurochemical changes associated with infantile hydrocephalus is crucial for effective therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific alterations in monoamine neurotransmitter levels in various brain regions during infantile hydrocephalus.
- To correlate observed neurochemical changes with the pathological features of hydrocephalus in a rat model.
Main Methods:
- Obstructive hydrocephalus was induced in newborn rats using kaolin injection into the 4th ventricle and cisterna magna.
- Monoamine levels (norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin) were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography in frontoparietal cortex, neostriatum, cerebellar vermis, and brain stem.
- Comparative analysis was performed between hydrocephalic rats and sham-operated controls.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin were observed in the cerebral cortex, neostriatum, and cerebellum of hydrocephalic rats.
- Conversely, norepinephrine and serotonin levels were elevated in the brain stem of experimental animals.
- Gross pathological examination revealed enlarged lateral ventricles, thinned cerebral cortex, compressed neostriatum, and vacuolated tectum/cerebellum.
Conclusions:
- Infantile hydrocephalus induces significant perturbations in regional monoamine levels within the brain.
- These neurochemical imbalances may result from impaired axonal transport or neuronal damage affecting specific brain nuclei.
- The observed monoamine changes have critical implications for neuronal function, development, and the clinical management of infantile hydrocephalus.
