Topographical differences of RNA labelling in rat brain after intraventricular administration of labelled RNA precursors.

14C-uridine or 14C-orotic acid was injected into the third or fourth brain ventricle of adult rats. The rate of incorporation of these precursors into the RNA of various brain regions was studied by autoradiography. 0.5 hour, 1 hour, 2 hours and 4 hours after the injection of labelled uridine and/or orotic acid into the third ventricle, a very uneven labelling of different brain regions was observed. The highest grain density was found over the ventricular walls and in the closely adjacent brain tissue; the intensity of labelling decreased sharply with distance from the ventricular lumen. 24 hours after intraventricular injection, a medio-lateral gradient of grain density was no longer observed. An intense labelling of leptomeninx (especially at the base of the brain) and of ependymal cells was observed at all time intervals investigated. At time intervals 0.5-2 hours the grain density of these structures surpassed by a considerable amount the grain density over neurona, glial cells or neuropile. Two hours after the injection of 14C-orotic acid into the fourth ventricle, the grains were mainly localised over leptomeningeal cells and vessels at the base of the brain and in the adjacent narrow strip of brain tissue. The rest of the brain was only very faintly labelled.