Changes in neural stem cells in the subventricular zone in a rat model of communicating hydrocephalus.

Communicating hydrocephalus is a common type of hydrocephalus. At present, the prevalent treatment is to perform a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, which, for reasons that are not clear, is sometimes ineffective. The subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles has been established as the primary site of adult neurogenesis. Following cerebral ischemia or brain injury, neural stem cells (NSCs) increase in the SVZ and can both differentiate into neurons and glial cells and respond to the injury. Neural stem cells, enabled by a complex repertoire of factors that precisely regulate the activation, proliferation, differentiation and integration of newborn cells, continuously generate new neurons. However, only a few systematic studies of the role of NSCs in hydrocephalus have been reported. In a rat model of communicating hydrocephalus, we recently showed that hydrocephalus caused the ventricular system to expand over time. We found that the number of NSCs in the SVZ peaked rapidly after hydrocephalus was established and decreased gradually over time until the cells disappeared. NSCs may be involved in the pathophysiology changes and repair process of hydrocephalus.