Dopaminergic differentiation of grafted GFP transgenic neuroepithelial stem cells in the brain of a rat model of Parkinson's disease.
Neuroepithelial stem cells (NEPs) possess multipotent potential for self-renewal and neuronal differentiation. Using green fluorescent protein (GFP) positive NEPs, we explored, firstly, the survival and differentiation of grafted NEPs in the host rat and, secondly, whether or not transplantation of NEPs is a feasible therapeutic option for treating Parkinson's disease. NEPs were harvested from the neural tube of enhanced GFP transgenic embryos. In culture, GFP(+) NEPs generated abundant neurospheres and differentiated into both neurons and glia. When stereotaxically transplanted into the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned striatum of rats, NEPs survived and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive cells were detected in the graft. Furthermore, these grafted GFP(+) NEPs significantly ameliorated Parkinsonian behavioral symptoms compared with controls which were treated only with normal saline. Our results suggest that transplanted NEPs accomplish dopaminergic differentiation may be used for treating Parkinson's disease.
Sun
Jinhao
J
Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China. sunjinhao@sdu.edu.cn
Gao
Qing
Q
Miller
Katherine
K
Wang
Xian
X
Wang
Jiazeng
J
Liu
Wenjing
W
Bao
Lihua
L
Zhang
Jing
J
Zhang
Liping
L
Poon
W S
WS
Gao
Yingmao
Y
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D016627:Oxidopamine; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013565:Sympatholytics; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
D013565:Sympatholytics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D016627:Oxidopamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine