title: Cografting of carotid body cells improves the long-term survival, fiber outgrowth and functional effects of grafted dopaminergic neurons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A major limiting factor for cell therapy in Parkinson's disease is that the survival of grafted dopaminergic neurons is very poor, which may be improved by administration of GDNF, for which the carotid body is a good source.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats with total unilateral dopaminergic denervation were grafted with a cell suspension of rat dopaminergic neuroblasts with or without cell aggregates from the rat carotid body. At 1, 2 and 3 months after grafting, the rats were tested in the cylinder and the rotometer and killed 4 months after grafting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed that the survival of dopaminergic neurons and graft-derived dopaminergic innervation were higher in rats that received mixed grafts. Both grafted groups showed complete recovery in the amphetamine-induced rotation test. However, rats with cografts performed significantly better in the cylinder test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cografting of carotid body cells may constitute a useful strategy for cell therapy in Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroanatomy & Experimental Neurology, Department of Morphological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Jannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Pallares
authors.forename: Belen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Joglar
authors.forename: Ana B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Manchado
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villadiego
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Toledo-Aral
authors.forename: Jose L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Labandeira-Garcia
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine; D000818:Animals; D002344:Carotid Body / Q000166:cytology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002470:Cell Survival; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012399:Rotation; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000166:cytology; D013997:Time Factors; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D000661:Amphetamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase