Normalization of striatal proenkephalin and preprotachykinin mRNA expression by fetal substantia nigra grafts.
The expression of striatal proenkephalin and preprotachykinin mRNA was studied in Wistar rats following unilateral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine into the nigrostriatal pathway and after grafting dopaminergic fetal cell suspensions into the dopamine-depleted striatum. Striatal dopaminergic deafferentation resulted in an amphetamine-induced rotational asymmetry, an increase in ipsilateral striatal proenkephalin mRNA, and a decrease in preprotachykinin mRNA expression. Twelve months following grafting, proenkephalin and preprotachykinin mRNA returned to near-normal levels in contrast to control nongrafted lesioned animals. In addition, reversal of the rotational asymmetry was routinely observed. This study has demonstrated long-term graft-induced functional recovery coincident with normalization of striatal proenkephalin and preprotachykinin mRNA expression.
Mendez
I M
IM
Department of Anatomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Naus
C C
CC
Elisevich
K
K
Flumerfelt
B A
BA
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015320:Tachykinins / Q000235:genetics*
D004745:Enkephalins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015320:Tachykinins; C044206:preprotachykinin; C029992:proenkephalin