title: Dopaminergic differentiation of grafted GFP transgenic neuroepithelial stem cells in the brain of a rat model of Parkinson's disease.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China. sunjinhao@sdu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Jinhao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiazeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: Yingmao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D013565:Sympatholytics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D016627:Oxidopamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine