[Simultaneous transplantation of fetal mesencephalic cells to the striatum and globus pallidus of rats with lesions induced by 6-hydroxydopamine].
BACKGROUND
Studies of neural transplants in experimental models of Parkinson's disease have concentrated their attention on ectopic transplants of foetal mesencephalic cells to denervated striatum. However, the external globus pallidus has recently been shown to play an important part in the physiopathology of this disease.


OBJECTIVE
Bearing in mind the importance of loss of extra-striatal dopamine in the genesis of the clinical signs found in parkinsonism, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of foetal mesencephalic transplantation to the globus pallidus of hemiparkinsonian rats.


METHODS
Following conventional transplantation methodolgy, suspensions of cells from the ventral mesencephalum of rat embryos (E-14) were implanted. The tissue was grafted into the striatum, pallidum-striatum and pallidum areas of rats with unilateral lesions of the striatonigral bundle. One, two, three and six months after transplantation, the rotatory activity induced by D-amphetamine was evaluated. The rotatory behaviour induced by apomorphine was evaluated at three months. Motor ability of the front legs was evaluated in all experimental groups three months after transplantation using the 'ladder test'.


RESULTS
In the experimental groups in which a transplant was made to the globus pallidus there was a significant reduction (p < 0.01) in rotatory activity induced by D-amphetamine and by apomorphine as compared with the non-transplanted groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Transplants of foetal dopaminergic cells survive in the globus pallidus of hemiparkinsonian rats and can improve the rotational activity induced by dopaminergic agonists.
Alvarez-Fonseca
P
P
Grupo de Movimientos Anormales, Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica, CIREN, La Habana, Cuba.
Blanco
L
L
Pavón
N
N
Vidal
L
L
Castellano
O
O
Castillo
L
L
García
A
A
Rosillo
J C
JC
Macías
R
R
D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000601:surgery*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000196:embryology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D016627:Oxidopamine; D001058:Apomorphine