1986 Volume 26 Issue 1 Pages 11-18
Congenital hydrocephalus induced in rats by N-methyl N-nitrosourea was studied morphologically. Special attention was paid to early changes occurring during the perinatal period. Alterations in the subependymal layer preceded diverse changes in the ventricular fine structures and ependymal cells. Horseradish peroxidase injected intraventricularly into the hydrocephalic brain rapidly penetrated the immature subependymal layer and widely dispersed within the differentiating white matter. These findings indicate that, in the early stage of congenital hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid easily penetrates the parenchyma and disrupts the cellular environment of the differentiating subependymal layer. This process is assumed to be central to the progression of congenital hydrocephalus in the immature brain.
