Perfusion Studies of the Cerebrospinal Fluid Absorptive Pathways in the Dog

Perfusion studies with Hypaque 75%, barium gelatin, and barium sulfate demonstrated the absorptive and filtrative functions of the arachnoid villi in dogs during life and immediately after death. Perfusion with artificial cerebrospinal fluid in sacrificed dogs at approximately the rate of CSF formation during life showed a pressure gradient between the cisterna magna and sagittal sinus of 6.8 cm water as compared to 5.8 cm in live dogs. These findings suggest that absorptive pathways function relatively normally for 1 to 2 hr. after death and that the absorptive pathways function as a passive filtration system.