G Nikkhah

TL;DR: The experiments reported here evaluate the usefulness of a new “stepping test” to monitor forelimb akinesia in rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the mesencephalic dopamine (DA) system, and assess the ability of DA- receptor agonists and fetal DA neuron transplants to reverse these deficits.

TL;DR: The results demonstrate that single deposits of 50,000-75,000 cells in 0.5 microliter provide the best environment both for dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neuron survival and Optimal graft integration and minimal disturbances of host brain structures can reliably be achieved by small-sized implants.

TL;DR: The present microtransplantation procedure is an efficient means to increase overall dopamine neuron survival and to achieve more complete reinnervation of the denervated striatum in the rat Parkinson model and substantially increased the reproducibility of DA graft survival between animals.

TL;DR: A novel pattern of behavioral recovery induced by intranigral VM transplants in the rat Parkinson model is demonstrated, which may have important implications for the understanding of how the nigrostriatal dopamine system influences motor control in the basal ganglia as well as for the development of optimal transplantation strategies in Parkinson's disease.

TL;DR: The results show that intrastriatal nigral transplants, despite their ectopic placement, can ameliorate lesion-induced deficits also in more complex sensorimotor behaviors.