ABSTRACT
Effects of fetal substantia nigra grafts on the dopamine receptors in the corpus striatum in rats were investigated after the destruction of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathways with intraventricular 6-hy-droxydopamine injections. The expected dopamine receptor denervation supersensitivity was demonstrated by a 53.7 % increase of [3H] spiroperidol binding in rats with sham grafts compared with normal control-group rats. In contrast, rats with grafts showed a significant reduction of supersensitivity, with a 25 % decrease in binding to the graft-bearing caudate when compared with the sham-graft group. A non-significant 15% decrease in binding on the nongrafted side was also observed. The fetal substantia nigra grafts thus reduced the denervation supersensitivity toward a normal level.
- Received December 1987.
- Revision received December 1988.
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