The formation of new neuronal circuit between transplanted nigral dopamine neurons and non-immunoreactive axon terminals in the host rat caudate nucleus.
Using immunoelectron microscopic techniques, whether or not host neuronal elements newly form synaptic contact with the grafted dopamine (DA) neurons in the caudate nucleus of the rat with unilateral lesion in the nigrostriatal DA pathway was examined. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was used as a marker for DA-containing structures. Motor imbalances after the lesion and before or after the transplantation were assessed by the amount of circlings after the injection of Met-amphetamine. In animals which recovered well from motor imbalance, non-immunoreactive axon terminals made synaptic contact with grafted TH-positive cell bodies and their dendrites. Since the incidence of these synapses was quite low in poorly recovered animals, the formation of a new neuronal circuit may be one of the important bases for behavior recovery.
D000818:Animals; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D016627:Oxidopamine; D051381:Rats; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000637:transplantation*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D013681:Tegmentum Mesencephali / Q000637:transplantation*
D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D016627:Oxidopamine; D004298:Dopamine