title: Long-term survival of GABA-, enkephalin-, NADPH-diaphorase- and calbindin-d28k-containing neurons in fetal striatal grafts.
abstract: Neurons in long-term striatal grafts were examined to determine if they retain the neurotransmitter characteristics of cells in younger grafts. In addition, calbindin-d28k, a ubiquitous marker of medium spiny neurons, was used to examine the overall frequency and ultrastructural characteristics of spiny neurons in the older grafts. Grafts from 17-day fetal striata were injected into the quinolinic acid-lesioned caudate nucleus in 5 adult rats. After 16 months, the neostriatum was processed for the localization of immunoreactive GABA, calbindin, enkephalin and NADPH-diaphorase (-d) activity. The proportions of GABA-, enkephalin- and NADPH-d-labeled neurons to total Nissl-stained neurons in the 16-month-old grafts (25 +/- 6, 13 +/- 4, and 3 +/- 3, respectively) were similar to findings in 2-month-old grafts. Calbindin-positive cells formed the highest proportion (36.3 +/- 3) of labeled neurons in the older grafts. Nuclear and spine morphology of immunoreactive calbindin cells varied more in the grafts than in host caudate. Results show that there is long-term survival and stability of GABA, enkephalin and NADPH-d cell populations in the grafts and that some grafted spiny neurons may exhibit altered phenotype from those of host striatum.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Charlestown 02129.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DiFiglia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016380:Brain Tissue Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D064092:Calbindin 1; D064026:Calbindins; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000196:embryology / Q000637:transplantation; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000032:analysis; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000637:transplantation; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: C576500:Calb1 protein, rat; D064092:Calbindin 1; D064026:Calbindins; D004745:Enkephalins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase