Diversity in the surface morphology of adjacent epithelial cells of the choroid plexus: an ultrastructural analysis

Abstract

It is generally known that the luminal surface of the choroidal epithelial cells is covered with a luxuriant coat of slender microvilli and cilia. However, extensive ultrastructural studies on the surface morphology of choroidal epithelial cells are lacking. This study, therefore, is focused on the detailed surface morphology of the choroid plexus of the lateral ventricle of adult Wistar rats using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The animals were anesthetized, perfused with 0.9% oxygenated saline followed by 3% gluteraldehyde and the choroid plexus was processed for routine electron microscopy. The results of the ultrastructural observations presented in this study show that even the neighboring choroidal epithelial cells may express distinct morphology. In addition to the usually described morphology of choroidal epithelial cells, in this study, the presence of cells with uniform small blebs, crenulated or doughnut shaped structures, large mature blebs, or cells with an extensive network of fibers were observed. Although, dissimilar surface morphology of adjacent choroidal epithelial cells may indicate their distinct functional status, further studies are necessary to understand the physiological relevance of the varied surface morphology of choroidal epithelial cells.