Effects of intrastriatal transplantation of tyrosinase cDNA-transfected hepatoma HLE in hemi-parkinsonian mice.

<p>Human hepatoma HLE cells transfected with tyrosinase cDNA (HLE/tyrosinase) (1×10⁶ cells/2 µl PBS) or empty vector (HLE) were transplanted into the right (lesioned side) lateral striatum of hemi-parkinsonian albino mice. (A) Double immunostaining of tyrosinase/L-DOPA in cultured human tyrosinase cDNA-transfected HLE cells. (B) Rotation behavior towards contralateral side over 10 min after injection of apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) was recorded at 3–77 days after HLE/tyrosinase transplantation. Values are means ± SEM of 4 mice. *<i>p</i><0.05, **<i>p</i><0.001 vs. each time-matched sham-HLE group. ⁺<i>p</i><0.05 vs. each time-matched 6-OHDA-HLE group. ^#<i>p</i><0.01, ^##<i>p</i><0.001 vs. each pre-transplantation of HLE cells. (C–D) Histological changes in the striatal area around the transplant after transplantation of intrastriatal HLE/tyrosinase into hemi-parkinsonian mice. TH-immunostaining with nuclear counter-staining using methylgreen (C), tyrosinase-positive IR (D; green) and DA-positive IR (D; red) in the right lateral striatum around the transplant of hemi-parkinsonian mice at 80 days (12 weeks) after intrastriatal HLE/tyrosinase transplantation. (E) Changes in the striatal contents of L-DOPA, DA and its metabolites DOPAC and HVA of hemi-parkinsonian mice at 80 days after HLE/tyrosinase transplantation. Values are means ± SEM of 6–8 samples from 3–4 mice. *<i>p</i><0.001, **<i>p</i><0.0005 compared with the control side of each treated group. ^#<i>p</i><0.05, ^##<i>p</i><0.005 compared with side-matched HLE cell-transplanted group.