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Sci Rep
2025 Feb 15;151:5646. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-89599-5.
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A new analogous organ in bony fishes and amphibians: an anatomical structure related with the cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
Chen C
,
Yang H
,
Song Y
,
Dong YL
,
Zhang J
,
Shah MAA
,
Qin T
,
Zheng N
,
Yu SB
,
Xiong YY
,
Zhang JF
,
Sui HJ
.
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The myodural bridge (MDB) was described as a dense fibrous tissue connecting the suboccipital musculature with the spinal dura mater. Now, the concept of the MDB was perceived as an exact anatomical structure likely essential for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation. The MDB has been shown to be universal across mammals, reptiles, and birds. To determine the existence of the MDB in other vertebrates on morphological study, representatives in amphibians and bony fishes were examined. It was found that the dense fibrous tissue connected the interarcuales muscle (IAR) and the spinal dura mater in the Xenopus laevis. In four examined fish species, somatic muscle fibers were directly anchored to the vertebral canal membrane. This observation led to the hypothesis that, during movement, these muscles may exert a pulling force on the membrane, generating negative pressure. It is speculated that this may serve as the driving force for CSF circulation. Thus, this connection suggests a functional similarity to the MDB observed in other vertebrate species. Based on this finding, the study proposes the MDB as a functionally analogous structure with a universal existence in amphibians and bony fishes.
NSFC31801008 National Natural Science Foundation of China, NSFC32071184 National Natural Science Foundation of China, XLYC1902112 Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program
Fig. 1
Masson stained slides showing the dense fibrous connections between the IAR and the dura mater in Xenopus laevis. The dense fibrous bundles from the IAR connected with the DAOM tightly or passed through the DAOM and then fused with the spinal dura mater (arrowhead) in sagittal (A, A’), transverse (B, B’) and coronal (C, C’). The DAOM fused with the spinal dura mater tightly in all the slices.
LGD: the longissimus dorsi muscle; IAR: the interarcuales muscle; EO: exoccipital; V1: the first vertebra; SC: spinal cord; DAOM: the dorsal atlanto-occipital membrane; arrowhead: the dura mater; arrow: the MDB connections.
Fig. 2Masson stained slides showing the dense fibrous connections between the muscles and the vertebral canal membrane in sagittal. The dense fibrous (arrow) from the muscles tightly connected with the vertebral canal membrane (arrowhead) in Dicentrarchus labrax (A, A’), Scophthalmus maximus (B, B’), Takifugu rubripes (C, C’), and Danio rerio (D, D’). m: muscle; mc: myocommata; SC: spinal cord; en: epineurals; V: vertebra; arrowhead: the vertebral canal membrane; half ring: the MDB-like connections.
Fig. 3Masson stained slides showing the dense fibrous connections between the muscles and the vertebral canal membrane in transverse. The dense fibrous (arrow) from the muscles tightly connected with the vertebral canal membrane (arrowhead) iin Dicentrarchus labrax (A, A’), Scophthalmus maximus (B, B’), Takifugu rubripes (C, C’), and Danio rerio (D, D’). m: muscle; mc: myocommata; SC: spinal cord; en: epineurals; V: vertebra; arrowhead: the vertebral canal membrane; half ring: the MDB-like connections.
Fig. 4Masson stained slides showing the dense fibrous connections between the muscles and the vertebral canal membrane in coronal. The dense fibrous (arrow) from the muscles tightly connected with the vertebral canal membrane (arrowhead) in Dicentrarchus labrax (A, A’), Scophthalmus maximus (B, B’), Takifugu rubripes (C, C’), and Danio rerio (D, D’). m: muscle; mc: myocommata; SC: spinal cord; en: epineurals; V: vertebra; arrowhead: the vertebral canal membrane; half ring: the MDB-like connections.