Subcommissural material and ventricular area changes in cirrhosis

International Conference on Histochemistry & Cell Biology

September 14-15, 2016 Phoenix, USA

Samir Ahboucha

Universit�© Hassan Ier, Morocco

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Cytol Histol

Abstract :

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric complication of both acute and chronic liver failure. Whether brain structures with strategic positions in the interface of blood-brain barriers such as the circumventricular organs (CVO) play a role in HE is not yet established. Among the CVO, the subcommissural organ (SCO) secretes a glycoprotein called Reissner�s fiber (RF) which condenses and forms an ever-growing thread-like structure into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Here, we describe RF material within the SCO and its serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT)-ergic innervation in a model of minimal HE following bile duct ligation (BDL) in rats using immunohistochemistry with antibodies against RF and 5-HT. 4 weeks after BDL surgery, we observed a significant rise of RF immunoreactivity in SCO areas compared with sham-operated controls. Moreover, we saw significant RF-immunoreactive materials within the ependyma and inside the parenchyma of the ventricular borders in BDL rats, but not in sham-operated controls. Increased RF material in cirrhotic rats is probably related to reduce 5-HT innervation found in BDL rats compared to sham-operated controls. Reduced 5-HT innervation of ependymal structures reflects probably a general 5-HT system deficit in BDL rats where 5-HT-immunoreactive neurons were significantly reduced within the nucleus of origin at the dorsal raphe nucleus of BDL rats compared with shams. Reduced 5-HT innervations of these ependymal structures in brain of BDL rats are the consequences of brain accumulation of neurotoxins such as ammonia and cytokines. We suggest that increased RF material may have neuroprotective, neurotransmitter recycling, and/or water homeostasis consequences in BDL rats.

Biography :

Email: sahboucha@hotmail.com