Early postnatal development of transport functions in the rabbit choroid plexus.

The development of transport functions in the rabbit choroid plexus was followed postnatally up to 2 months after birth. The activity of ouabain-sensitive Na+, K+-ATPase in newborn rabbit choroid plexus composes about one-fourth (lateral and third ventricle) to one-half (fourth ventricle) of the activity in the adult animal, and it increases markedly within the first 3 weeks of early life. A similar profile of postnatal changes is observed for the capacity to take up and accumulate the organic base choline, which is about three to five times higher for the adult rabbit than for the newborn animal. This coincides with the maturation of the epithelial cells as well as with the development of the sympathetic nerve supply in the choroid plexus. The results suggest that energy-dependent translocation systems influenced by local sympathetic nerves in the choroid plexus, at the interface between blood and CSF, have a functional role shortly after birth.