Flow of cerebrospinal fluid is driven by arterial pulsations and is reduced in hypertension

Humberto Mestre, Jeffrey Tithof, Ting Du, Wei Song, Weiguo Peng, Amanda M. Sweeney, Genaro Olveda, John H. Thomas, Maiken Nedergaard and Douglas H. Kelley ()
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Humberto Mestre: University of Rochester Medical Center
Jeffrey Tithof: University of Rochester
Ting Du: University of Rochester Medical Center
Wei Song: University of Rochester Medical Center
Weiguo Peng: University of Rochester Medical Center
Amanda M. Sweeney: University of Rochester Medical Center
Genaro Olveda: University of Rochester Medical Center
John H. Thomas: University of Rochester
Maiken Nedergaard: University of Rochester Medical Center
Douglas H. Kelley: University of Rochester

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through perivascular spaces (PVSs) in the brain is important for clearance of metabolic waste. Arterial pulsations are thought to drive flow, but this has never been quantitatively shown. We used particle tracking to quantify CSF flow velocities in PVSs of live mice. CSF flow is pulsatile and driven primarily by the cardiac cycle. The speed of the arterial wall matches that of the CSF, suggesting arterial wall motion is the principal driving mechanism, via a process known as perivascular pumping. Increasing blood pressure leaves the artery diameter unchanged but changes the pulsations of the arterial wall, increasing backflow and thereby reducing net flow in the PVS. Perfusion-fixation alters the normal flow direction and causes a 10-fold reduction in PVS size. We conclude that particle tracking velocimetry enables the study of CSF flow in unprecedented detail and that studying the PVS in vivo avoids fixation artifacts.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07318-3

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