The effect of fetal dopaminergic grafts on the distant neural tissues

Abstract

Fetal substantia nigra grafts (obtained from 15-17-day-old-foetuses) were transplanted into cavities overlying the caudate nucleus of rats following destruction of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathways by intraventricular injection of the 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). We investigated the effect of fetal substantia nigra grafts on the adrenal gland and sympathetic ganglia. Three months after grafting tyrosine hydroxylase activity of the adrenal gland, celiac and lumbar sympathetic ganglia of grafted rat groups showed significant increases of 154%, 114%, 128% respectively. There were no increases in the superior and inferior cervical ganglia. These results indicate that fetal nigrostriatal dopaminergic grafts had an augmenting effect upon the distant CNS tissues.