Cerebral White Matter: Selective Spread of Pneumococcal Polysaccharides

Abstract

Pneumococcal polysaccharides were implanted in rat brain and their distribution was studied by immunofluorescence. The polysaccharides spread selectively in white matter, and frequently extended from anterior to posterior poles. The results suggest that selective localization of experimental and natural leukoencephalopathies may be related to an innate property of white matter that permits or facilitates spread of noxious agents.