[Age-related changes in the choroid plexus of the brain include focal fibrosis of its villi.]

Abstract

The choroid plexus of the cerebral ventricles is a highly vascularized villous structure that produces cerebrospinal fluid, forms the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier and regulates the exchange of biologically active molecules between blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The purpose of the work was to study the distribution of collagen fibers in the choroid plexus and determine the presence of type IV collagen in their composition. To identify collagen fibers, preparations were stained with aniline blue; the localization of type IV collagen was determined by immunohistochemistry. Collagen fibers in the human choroid plexus were found in a narrow strip of the basement membrane - in all studied samples, regardless of age. A significant portion of collagen fibers includes type IV collagen. At the age of 40-50 years, large accumulations of fibers additionally appear in the stroma of individual villi, a significant part of which is type IV collagen. In such fibrotic villi, blood vessels are not identified. Early fibrosis of part of the villi can result in slowing down filtration processes in the choroid plexus and lead to the development of pathological changes in the brain during aging.