Experimental Tools to Study the Regulation and Function of the Choroid Plexus

Abstract

There is an increasing recognition of the choroid plexus’ (CP) functional relevance for brain homeostasis, and its malfunction has been associated with neurologic diseases, in newborns, young adults, and the elderly, like kernicterus, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. Yet, the CP still remains an overlooked organ requiring further investigation. The minute size of the CP, particularly in rodent models, increases the difficulties associated with the implementation of suitable protocols to address the ever-increasing research questions. In recent years we have implemented fundamental methods to study gene expression and function in the CP. These include CP epithelial cell (CPEC) primary cultures; use of CP explants for expression analysis, and electrophysiology and bioluminescence assays; Ca 2+ imaging; gene silencing in CP epithelial cell lines; and transport studies across blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) in vitro models. This chapter describes these protocols aiming to attract more researchers willing to enhance the current knowledge on CP functions and the relevance of its malfunction to the central nervous system pathophysiology.