Astrocyte Markers in the Tanycytes of the Third Brain Ventricle in Postnatal Development and Aging in Rats

Abstract

We studied the distribution of the main astrocyte markers (glutamine synthetase, glial fibrillary acidic protein, connexin 43) in the tanycytes of the third ventricle during postnatal development. Using immunohistochemical methods, we analyzed the brain sections of Wistar rats at each of the following postnatal ages: day 7 (n = 4), day 30 (n = 4), 4–6 months (n = 8), and 20 months (n = 4). It was found that the tanycytes undergo cytochemical and structural changes during postnatal development and aging. Tanycyte differentiation in the lining of the third ventricle occurs in the first postnatal week. The protein profile typical of adult rat tanycytes is formed during the first month of postnatal development. The cytochemical profile of tanycytes does not change with age, but the tanycyte processes are reorganized. The data will help to establish the role of studied proteins in the development, formation, and aging of tanycytes in the third ventricle.