title: Time course of apoptotic cell death within mesencephalic cell suspension grafts: implications for improving grafted dopamine neuron survival.
abstract: The vast majority ( congruent with 90%) of embryonic mesencephalic dopamine (DA) neurons die following transplantation to the striatum. Recent reports indicate that at least a subpopulation of grafted cells undergo apoptotic cell death at early times following implantation. This study examines the temporal pattern and magnitude of apoptotic cell death following the implantation of mesencephalic cell suspension grafts. Two techniques, a modified terminal deoxynucleotide-mediated nucleotide end labeling (TUNEL) technique and cresyl violet staining, are used to assess apoptotic cell death by detection of its biochemical and morphological identifiers, respectively. Male, Fischer 344 rats were examined at 1, 4, 7, and 28 days following implantation of embryonic day 14 (E14) ventral mesencephalic cells to the DA-denervated striatum. Results indicate that the overwhelming majority of apoptotic cell death occurs within the first 7 days after transplantation. However, the impact of the apoptosis that occurs over the first week following grafting only appears to limit grafted tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (THir) neuron survival during the first 4 days. No significant differences between the survival rates of THir neurons at 4 days after grafting and at 28 days after grafting were found. Therefore, it appears that the critical interval during which an estimated 90% of grafted DA neurons die is during the first 4 days postimplantation and that a major contributor to this cell death is apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Research Center for Brain Repair, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Suite 200, 2242 West Harrison Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Sortwell
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pitzer
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Collier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D016380:Brain Tissue Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004298:Dopamine