Development of an experimental model of brain tissue heterotopia in the lung

Abstract

The presence of heterotopic brain tissue in the lung is a rare abnormality. The cases reported thus far are usually associated with neural tube defects (NTD). As there are no reports of experimental models of NTD that present this abnormality, the objective of the present study was to develop a surgical method of brain tissue heterotopia in the lung. We used 24 pregnant Swiss mice divided into two groups of 12 animals each, denoted 17GD and 18GD according to the gestational day (GD) when caesarean section was performed to collect the fetuses. Surgery was performed on the 15th GD, one fetus was removed by hysterectomy and its brain tissue was cut into small fragments and implanted in the lung of its litter mates. Thirty-four live fetuses were obtained from the 17GD group. Of these, eight (23.5%) were used as control (C), eight (23.5%) were sham operated (S) and 18 (52.9%) were used for pulmonary brain tissue implantation (PBI). Thirty live fetuses were obtained from the females of the 18GD group. Of these, eight (26.6%) were C, eight (26.6%) S and 14 (46.6%) were used for PBI. Histological examination of the fetal trunks showed implantation of GFAP-positive brain tissue in 85% of the fetuses of the 17GD group and in 100% of those of the 18GD group, with no significant difference between groups for any of the parameters analysed. The experimental model proved to be efficient and of relatively simple execution, showing complete integration of the brain tissue with pulmonary and pleural tissue and thus representing a model that will permit the study of different aspects of cell implantation and interaction.

Neuronal Maturation in an Experimental Model of Brain Tissue Heterotopia in the Lung

“…Surgery was performed in the morning of the 15th gestational day (gd) under aseptic conditions, according to the method proposed by Quemelo et al (9). Briefly, pregnant dams were anesthetized with 0.1 ml ketamine base solution (50 mg/ml) (Ketamina; Pfizer do Brasil Ltda, São Paulo, Brazil) and xylazine (10 mg/ml) (Rompum; Bayer do Brasil Ltda, São Paulo, Brazil) injected into the lateral muscles of the thigh; after the dams were anesthetized, median laparotomy was done to expose the uterine horns.…”

Hétérotopie gliale pulmonaire : une lésion exceptionnelle chez un nourrisson avec un jumeau anencéphale

“…Les hypothèses étiopathogéniques restent à ce jour très discutées (8). L'une d'entre elles serait une anomalie de la différenciation ou de la migration des cellules de la crête neurale.…”

Proliferation and cell death in an experimental model of brain tissue heterotopia in the lung

“…Surgery was performed in the morning of the 15th gestational day (GD) under aseptic conditions, according to the method proposed by Quemelo et al 12 . Briefly, pregnant dams were anesthetized with ketamine (Ketamina ® -Pfizer do Brasil Ltda, São Paulo, Brazil) and xylazine (Rompum ® -Bayer do Brasil Ltda, São Paulo, Brazil).…”

“…The implantation and growth of the brain tissue in the lung and the proliferative ability of these cells are not fully understood 10,11 . It was recently developed an experimental model of heterotopic brain tissue in the lung 12 , which allows deeper investigation of the mechanisms involved in this abnormality.…”