title: Transplantation of foetal neural stem cells into the rat hippocampus during trimethyltin-induced neurodegeneration.
abstract: The present study investigates the survival and fate of neural stem cells/progenitor cells (NSC/NPCs) homografted into the hippocampus of rats treated with trimethyltin (TMT), a potent neurotoxicant considered a useful tool to obtain a well characterized model of neurodegeneration, to evaluate their possible role in the reparative mechanisms that accompany neurodegenerative events. NSC/NPCs expressing eGFP by lentivirus-mediated infection were stereotaxically grafted into the hippocampus of TMT-treated animals and controls. Two weeks after transplantation surviving NSC/NPCs were detectable in 60% of TMT-treated animals and 30% of controls, while 30 days after transplantation only 40% of TMT-treated animals showed surviving grafted cells, which were undetectable in controls. At both times investigated, while grafted NSC/NPCs differentiated into neurons or astrocytes could be observed in addition to undifferentiated NSC/NPCs, we did not find evidence of structural integration of grafted cells into the main site of hippocampal lesion leading to appreciable repair.
authors: Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy.
authors: Maria Concetta
authors: MC
authors: Geloso
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Giannetti
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Cenciarelli
authors: Manuela
authors: M
authors: Budoni
authors: Patrizia
authors: P
authors: Casalbore
authors: Giulio
authors: G
authors: Maira
authors: Fabrizio
authors: F
authors: Michetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006085:Graft Survival; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014298:Trimethyltin Compounds
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014298:Trimethyltin Compounds; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins