Reconstruction of the striato-nigro-striatal circuitry by simultaneous double dopaminergic grafts: a tracer study using fluorogold and horseradish peroxidase.

The main strategy in neural transplantation for Parkinson's disease (PD) has been the ectopic placement of dopaminergic grafts in the striatum in order to restore dopaminergic innervation to the host striatum. Although intrastriatal transplants usually improve asymmetric rotational behavior in the 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rodent model of PD, they are less likely to completely restore the more complex sensorimotor behavioral deficits induced by dopamine loss. Re-establishment of the nigrostriatal circuitry and dopaminergic reinnervation of the substantia nigra may be necessary to promote a more complete restoration of function in the dopamine depleted brain and improve the clinical efficacy of dopaminergic transplants. Recently, we demonstrated the reconstruction of the nigrostriatal pathway by simultaneous intrastriatal and intranigral dopaminergic transplants [Mendez et al., J. Neurosci. 16 (1996) 7216-7227.]. Using this strategy, it was found that placing a graft of embryonic ventral mesencephalic tissue in the striatum promoted the growth and guidance of axons from a similar graft placed homotopically in the ventral mesencephalon. Since it is apparent that developing tissue has the ability to promote axonal growth and guidance along the nigrostriatal pathway, the double grafting strategy may contribute to re-establishing host-graft connectivity. The current study provides evidence of reconstruction of the striato-nigro-striatal loop circuitry by simultaneous intrastriatal and intranigral dopaminergic transplants. Injection of the retrograde tracer fluorogold (FG) into the striatum resulted in fluorescent labeled cells within the intranigral grafts. Similarly injection of FG into the nigra resulted in fluorescent labeled cells within the intrastriatal graft and surrounding striatum. Injection of the anterograde tracer horseradish peroxidase (HRP) resulted in the presence of HRP reaction product throughout the target striatum. These results strongly support the re-establishment of nigrostriatal and striatonigral connections between simultaneous intrastriatal and intranigral dopaminergic transplants and suggest reconstruction of the striato-nigro-striatal loop circuitry.