COMPARATIVE IN-VIVO AND PATHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BLOOD-BRAIN-BARRIER IN MOUSE TELENCEPHALIC TRANSPLANTS

The post-transplantation status of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is st ill a matter of debate, In an attempt to define BBB properties after n eural transplantation in mice of a defined genetic background, we have used two exogenous markers (horseradish peroxidase and Evans blue), o ne endogenous marker (immunoglobulins), and in vivo contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and compared the results obtained wit h the different methods, With all four techniques employed, we found t he BBB to be reconstituted in 67% of the grafts 3 weeks after grafting , and in more than 90% of all grafts 50 days after grafting. Horseradi sh peroxidase and contrast enhanced MRI were the most sensitive techni ques, the latter offering the unique advantage of repetitive scanning of individual grafts, Our findings provide important information for t ransplantation studies in mouse models for neurodegenerative diseases.