The choroid plexus of the mature and aging rat: the choroidal epithelium

The choroid plexus of mature and old rats has been examined by both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. It has been shown that the macrophages lying upon the ventricular surface of the choroid plexus have a close association with burr-like protrusions that extend from the apical surfaces of the choroidal epithelial cells. These protrusions have a dark cytoplasm filled with vesicles and tubules, and projecting from them are thin, shrunken microvilli. It is suggested that these protrusions are phagocytosed by the macrophages and that they are the source of some of the inclusions which become increasingly common within the cytoplasm of macrophages in older rats. The lateral surfaces of the choroidal epithelial cells have also been examined in the scanning electron microscope after exposure of the surfaces by dissection. In such preparations it is apparent that the elaborate interdigitations between adjacent cells are effected by irregular and vertically arranged folds confined to the basal portions of the lateral cell surfaces. Lastly, it has been shown that at the junction between the choroid plexus and the ependyma in the lateral ventricle, there are two modes of transition between the choroidal and ependymal epithelia. In one, typical choroidal and ependymal epithelial cells lie next to each other to produce a distinct and continuous bondary. In the other mode the boundary is also continuous, but there are modified ependymal cells present. These modified cells have short, relatively sparsely distributed microvilli and not more than one or two cilia.