Transplantation of foetal dopaminergic cells simultaneously to the striatum and pars reticularis of the substantia nigra in hemiparkinsonian rats

Introduction. Transplantation of foetal dopaminergic cells has been extensively used as restorative treatment for Parkinson's disease. Objective. This study was carried out to determine the survival, modifications in rotatory activity induced by D-amphetamine and total content of dopamine in the striatal and nigra regions of hemiparkinsonian rats which had had foetal mesencephalic cells simultaneously transplanted to the striatum and pars reticularis of the substancia nigra. Material and methods. The study was done using adult mule Wistar rats weighing 200-250gms. The following experimental groups were formed, depending on the site of transplant:St: transplant to striatum(n = 2);SNr: transplant to SNr (n = 20), ST + Snr; transplant to striatum and SNr simultaneously n = 20; and control (lesion with no transplant) n = 20. We studied the rotatory activity induced by D-amphetamine 1, 2, 3 and 6 months after transplantation. After this time the ruts were deeply anaesthetized and randomly allocated for morphological study or biochemical determination of the total dopamine content in the St and SNr using the HPLC technique. Results. Study of conduct showed no significant differences in rotatory activity induced by D-amphetamine between the groups with intrastriatal transplants, but there was a difference between these and the SNr and control groups. Biochemical analysis showed that striatal DA content was significantly greater in the ST for the groups with intrastriatal transplants. The content of substancia nigra DA was significantly greater in the SNr of the ST + SNr group, followed by the ST group. Morphometric study showed differences, which were not significant, between ST transplanted animals and significant differences between the SNr transplanted group with a significant increase in survival of the SNr of the ST + SNr group. Conclusions. These results suggest a positive effect due to intrastriatal transplants compared to survival following intranigral transplants.