title: Transplantation of induced pluripotent stem cells improves functional recovery in Huntington's disease rat model.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the functional recovery of the transplanted induced pluripotent stem cells in a rat model of Huntington's disease with use of 18F-FDG microPET/CT imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a quinolinic acid-induced rat model of striatal degeneration, induced pluripotent stem cells were transplanted into the ipsilateral lateral ventricle ten days after the quinolinic acid injection. The response to the treatment was evaluated by serial 18F-FDG PET/CT scans and Morris water maze test. Histological analyses and Western blotting were performed six weeks after stem cell transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After induced pluripotent stem cells transplantation, higher 18F-FDG accumulation in the injured striatum was observed during the 4 to 6-weeks period compared with the quinolinic acid-injected group, suggesting the metabolic recovery of injured striatum. The induced pluripotent stem cells transplantation improved learning and memory function (and striatal atrophy) of the rat in six week in the comparison with the quinolinic acid-treated controls. In addition, immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that transplanted stem cells survived and migrated into the lesioned area in striatum, and most of the stem cells expressed protein markers of neurons and glial cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings show that induced pluripotent stem cells can survive, differentiate to functional neurons and improve partial striatal function and metabolism after implantation in a rat Huntington's disease model.
authors: College of Optoelectronics Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Shuhua
authors: S
authors: Mu
authors: School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Jiachuan
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Guangqian
authors: G
authors: Zhou
authors: College of Optoelectronics Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Wenda
authors: W
authors: Peng
authors: School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Zhendan
authors: Z
authors: He
authors: School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Zhenfu
authors: Z
authors: Zhao
authors: School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors: CuiPing
authors: C
authors: Mo
authors: College of Optoelectronics Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Junle
authors: J
authors: Qu
authors: College of Optoelectronics Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D017378:Quinolinic Acid; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C492380:NeuN protein, mouse; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D017378:Quinolinic Acid