EFFECT OF EMBRYONIC DONOR AGE AND DISSECTION ON THE DARPP-32 CONTENT OF CELL-SUSPENSIONS USED FOR INTRASTRIATAL TRANSPLANTATION

The aim of this study was to determine in vitro the DARPP-32 content o f donor cells used for striatal transplantation in vivo. The effect of selective embryonic dissection of the lateral ganglionic eminence (LG E) was compared with the standard dissection of the whole ganglionic e minence (WGE) at each of three embryonic ages (14, 15, and 16 days of gestation) in the rat. The resultant cell suspensions were cultured fo r up to 7 days and incubated with antibodies against DARPP-32, a marke r of striatal medium spiny neurons; beta-tubulin III, a neuronal marke r; GFAP, a marker of reactive astrocytes; and Gal-C, a marker of oligo dendrocytes. LGE dissection gave rise to more DARPP-32 neurons compare d to WGE; but this relationship was only observed in the younger embry os. When older (16 days gestation) embryos are used there is no differ ence in the yield of DARPP-32 cells obtained from LGE and WGE. LGE dis sections were also observed to contain fewer glial cells. There was no beneficial effect of LGE over WGE on survival of striatal neurons in vitro. These results have important implications for the selection and dissection of fetal donor material used in clinical trials of intrast riatal transplantation as a potential treatment for Huntington's disea se. (C) 1997 Academic Press.