[ effect of oral morphine consumption on choroid plexus and 4[th] ventricle development in embryos of 14-day wistar rats]

Previous studies have shown that morphine consumption during pregnancy may delay embryo development or cause the nervous system to function abnormally. The present study focused on the effects of maternal morphine consumption on fourth ventricle and choroid plexus development in Wistar rats. Wistar rats weighing between 170 and 200 grams were selected for this study. The experimental group after pregnancy received 0.05mg/ml of morphine in their drinking water daily. The control group received only tap water. On day fourteen of pregnancy, the pregnant animals were anesthetized by chloroform and the embryos were removed surgically. The embryos were fixed in 10% formalin for 4 weeks. Then, tissue processing, sectioning and staining hematoxylin and eosin [HandE] were applied on the embryos. The sections were examined for fourth ventricle and choroid plexus development by light microscope and MOTIC software. The results of the study indicated the choroid plexus area in the experimental group increased. Moreover, the fourth ventricle area reduction in the experimental group was significant in comparison with that in control group. This study showed that oral morphine consumption has can decrease the fourth ventricle and increase choroid plexus area. This defect may delay the functioning and development of central neuron system. such as, changes observed in the fetus born by opioid addicted women

Acute Serum Sickness Induced Immunologic Injury of the Choroid Plexus; With Particular Reference to the Effect of Prednisolone and the Nature of the Interstitial Cell

Immune complex deposits have been found in the choroid plexus in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and it can be assumed that an immune complex injury to the choroid plexus might be related to the neuropsychiatric disorder seen in patients with SLE. Acute serum sickness was experimentally induced in rabbits by intravenous injection of crystalized BSA. Prednisolone in conventionl dosage was administered to study the immunologic injury of the choroid plexus as well as the mechanisms involved in the prednisolone effect. Light, electron microscopic and immunofluorescent studies were made. The host immunoglobulins(IgG, IgA, IgM) and beta 1 C globulin were demonstrated in the choroid plexus. Histopathological findings included mild to moderate interstitial and perivascular lymphocyte and plasma cell infiltrations and edema. Control animals showed no immune deposits and no histopathologic changes. Electron microscopic findings comparing the immunofluorescent and histopathologic changes were minimal, and showed sparse, vague electron dense deposits particularly in the interstitial spaces, knob-like focal thickening of vascular basement membrane, swelling of endothelial cells, and some accentuation of interstitial cells. The morphologic and functional similarities of the choroid plexus and glomerular basement membrane, the findings in morphologic, electron microscopic and immunofluorescent examinations of the experimental rabbits, along with the observed effects of prednisolone, together with similar reports in the recent literature suggest that immunologic injury of the choroid plexus could be considered as a new disease entity. This immunologic injury might play a significant role in neuropsychiatric disorders in the long standing immune complex deposit diseases. The very interesting finding is the nature and function of the interstitial cell between the endothelial (vascular) and epithelial side basement membranes, and speculation as to whether or not the role of this interstitial cell in choroid plexus injury may be in its possible analogy with glomerular mesangial cells.