Summary
Serial sagittal sections of the postnatally developing cerebellum of Wistar rats were studied to determine the incidence, origin, and relation to other cerebellar structures of nests of heterotopic cells. These nests were found to consist of small, darkly staining cells of either irregular or elongate shape with large, dark nuclei and bore close resemblance to cells of the external granular layer. They were present in every animal from the day of birth to at least day 15 of life and were confined to the uvula, nodulus, and pyramis of the vermis. In addition, the cell nests were found to be perivascular and continuous with the external granular layer via a narrow tongue of cells surrounding capillaries which penetrated to the medullary layer of the cerebellum from the subarachnoid space. The significance of the nests in relation to other studies, and their involution after day 15 of life is briefly considered.
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Pfaffenroth, M.J., Das, G.D. Heterotopic cell nests in the developing rat cerebellum. Acta Neuropathol 30, 1–9 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685316
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685316