CATECHOLAMINE LEVELS IN THE CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF CONSCIOUS RATS AFTER TRANSPLANTATION OF THE ADRENAL-MEDULLA INTO THE CISTERNA-MAGNA

The transplantation of adrenal medulla tissue is a recent procedure of interest in neurological experiments because adrenal medullary cells contain and release several neuroactive substances, including catechol amines and opioids. To evaluate catecholamine release from adrenal med ullary transplants, daily changes in the levels of catecholamines nore pinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of Wistar rats the transplantation of either adrenal medu lla or control muscle tissue into the cisterna magna using. We sampled 100 mu l of CSF through a cisternal catheter daily, following transpl antation. These CSF samples were assayed for catecholamines using high -performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Our results indicate that NE levels in the CSF of rats with adrenal medul lary transplants were not increased compared with the NE levels of hea lthy controls. On the other hand, the E levels in the CSF of rats with adrenal medullary transplants were increased on the first, second, an d fifth days following the operation. These results suggest that adren al medullary transplants into the cisterna magna did not change the NE level in CSF, and the survival ability to secrete E by the transplant ated adrenal medulla was at least over 5 days or over in this study.