title: Grafted neural stem cells migrate to substantia nigra and improve behavior in Parkinsonian rats.
abstract: Neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation has the potential to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we investigated the effect of transplanted NSCs in a PD animal model. NSCs isolated from the subventricular zone (SVZ) of E14 rats were cultured in vitro to produce neurospheres, which were subsequently infected with recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV(2)) expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The PD animal model was established by unilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) of Sprague-Dawley rats. Once the model was established, EGFP-expressing NSCs were transplanted into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) or striatum of PD rats. We found that NSCs transplanted into either site significantly reduced apomorphine-induced circling behavior of PD rats. Pathological analysis revealed that the EGFP-expressing NSCs could be detected at both injection sites at 1, 2 and 4 months after transplantation. SNc transplanted cells dispersed within the SNc with a significant portion differentiated into tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons. Whereas cells transplanted into the striatum migrated ventrally and posteriorly towards the SNc. These results suggest that the 6-OHDA damaged brain area attracts grafted NSCs, which migrated from the striatum and survived for a long time in SNc, resulting in behavioral improvement of PD rats.
authors: School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors: Qing feng
authors: Qf
authors: Zhu
authors: Ji
authors: J
authors: Ma
authors: Ling li
authors: Ll
authors: Yu
authors: Chong gang
authors: Cg
authors: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D016627:Oxidopamine; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D016627:Oxidopamine