Choroid plexus protects cerebrospinal fluid against toxic metals

Journal Article · Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States)

OSTI ID:5752081

Wei, Zheng; Perry, D F; Nelson, D L; Aposhian, H V ^[1]

---

1. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson (United States)

Although heavy metal ions are known to be toxic to the central nervous system (CNS), the mechanisms by which the CNS may protect itself from initial challenges of such toxic ions is unknown. The choroid plexus is the principal site of formation of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which bathes the brain. We have determined in rats and rabbits that after intraperitoneal administration of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic compounds, these toxic metal ions accumulated in the lateral choroid plexus at concentrations of Pb, Hg, and As that were 70-, 95-, and 40-fold higher, respectively, than those found in CSF. Cd was not detected in the CSF. In addition, concentrations of these heavy metal ions were found to be many fold greater in the choroid plexus than in the brain or blood. The accumulation of Pb in the choroid plexus was dose-dependent and time-related. When the choroid plexus was preincubated, in vitro, with ouabain (1.5 mM), the uptake of Cd from the CSF side of the choroid plexus was inhibited 57%. Cadmium metallothionein was not found in the choroid plexus. Whereas the concentration of reduced glutathione in the choroid plexus was less than that in the brain cortex, the concentration of cysteine was fourfold greater. The lateral choroid plexus sequesters Pb, Cd, As, and Hg. It appears to be one of the important mechanisms that protects the CSF and the brain from the fluxes of toxic heavy metals in the blood.

• OSTI ID: 5752081
• Journal Information: FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States), Vol. 5:8; ISSN 0892-6638
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
METALS
TOXICITY
ARSENIC
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BLOOD
BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER
BRAIN
CADMIUM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CEREBROSPINAL FLUID
CYSTEINE
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
GLUTATHIONE
INTRAPERITONEAL INJECTION
LEAD
MERCURY
METALLOTHIONEIN
RABBITS
RATS
THIOLS
TIME DEPENDENCE
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DRUGS
ELEMENTS
INJECTION
INTAKE
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
METALLOPROTEINS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PEPTIDES
POLYPEPTIDES
PROTEINS
RADIOPROTECTIVE SUBSTANCES
RODENTS
SEMIMETALS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology