3 research outputs found
Reconstruction of GABAergic Transmission and Behavior by Striatal Cell Grafts in Rats with Ischemic Infarcts in the Middle Cerebral Artery
Fetal striatal cell suspensions were grafted
stereotaxically into the infarcted striatum of
rats, and reconstruction of striatopallidal GABA
transmission and behavior were investigated.
Occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA)
for one hour induced ischemic infarcts mainly in
the lateral striatum, as detected by magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) and histology.
Ischemic rats had deficits in the performance of
a passive avoidance task, both acquisition and
retention, but no changes in general circadian
actograms. In these animals pallidal GABA,
detected by microdialysis, decreased to about
half of control levels. There were suggestions of
an improvement in passive avoidance
performance in the grafted animals. Pallidal
GABA concentrations recovered almost to
control levels, and were increased by infusions
of the GABA uptake blocker nipecotic acid.
These data indicate that neural transplantation
is a promising approach to improve the deficits
in chemical transmission and behavior following
ischemic infarcts in rat striatum