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Updated: May 15, 2025
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Measuring Left Ventricular Pressure in Late Embryonic and Neonatal Mice
Published on: February 23, 2012
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Measuring intraventricular pressure in developing mouse embryos: Uncovering a repetitive mechanical cue for brain
Mami Akaike1,2, Jun Hatakeyama2, Yuta Nakashima3,4,5
1Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
Development, Growth & Differentiation
|May 14, 2025
Summary
Researchers measured embryonic brain pressure using a new system. They found intraventricular pressure significantly impacts neuroepithelial development and brain formation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Neuroscience
- Biophysics
Background:
- Embryonic development relies on genetic and external factors, including mechanical stimulation.
- Quantitative data on intraventricular pressure during neurogenesis is limited.
- Mechanical forces are hypothesized to play a role in brain formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively measure embryonic intraventricular pressure during neurogenesis.
- To investigate the impact of intraventricular pressure on neuroepithelial development.
- To understand the role of mechanical cues in brain formation.
Main Methods:
- Developed a high time-resolution system using a piezoresistive sensor.
- Measured intraventricular pressure in mouse embryos ex utero (E12.5-E16.5) and in utero.
- Conducted perforation experiments to assess neuroepithelial response to pressure changes.
Main Results:
- Ex utero pressure increased from 53.76 ± 4.16 Pa at E12.5 to 158.10 ± 19.94 Pa by E16.5.
- In utero pressure showed periodicity synchronized with uterine contractions, reaching up to 1430 ± 195.2 Pa at E12.5.
- Pressure release caused rapid neuroepithelial thickening and apical contraction, indicating a tensile effect that diminished after E15.5.
Conclusions:
- Embryonic intraventricular pressure is dynamic, influenced by fluid production and uterine forces.
- Positive intraventricular pressure exerts a tensile effect on the neuroepithelium, crucial for architecture.
- Mechanical cues are integral to normal brain development, complementing genetic and molecular processes.
