EXPERIMENTAL-MODEL - CHANGE IN THE POSTERIOR-FOSSA WITH SURGICALLY INDUCED SPINA-BIFIDA APERTA IN MOUSE

On the basis of experimental studies on mouse embryos in which spina b ifida development of the brain ventricular system. Mouse embryos; were exposed and surgically treated at gestation day 12 to produce spina b ifida aperta, and operated embryos were cultured exo utero in the peri toneal cavity of the pregnant dam. Embryos were harvested at gestation day 14. Open neural tube defects resulted in 7 out of 10 embryos surv iving surgery. Histological examination revealed that the sizes of ven tricles in both the supra-and infratentorial compartments were greatly reduced in embryos with spina bifida aperta compared with control emb ryos. This result supports the hypothesis that leakage of cerebrospina l fluid through the opening of the caudal spine may be a major cause o f brain abnormalities in patients with myelomeningocele.