2013 Volume 47 Issue 1 Pages 11-19
Using a stereotactic technique, we created a novel, acute model of Parkinson's disease (PD) in 45 female rats by high-frequency electric ablation of bilateral substantia nigra pars compacta with a high-frequency electric coagulator. Targeting was aided by anatomical coordinates from a rat brain atlas. The rats developed persistent symptoms of PD, especially akinesia and postural instability. We tried various surgical protocols. The size and shape of the lesions that were ablated in a typical setting were evaluated. We determined that the optimal surgical parameters for creating a lesion were 1 W of power for 15 sec. The long-term viability of transplanted neural stem/progenitor cells was also examined. We confirmed they were viable for more than 60 days following surgery. As the animal model was designed to suit the study of cell transplantation therapy, it did not utilize neurotoxic chemicals to make lesions, thus avoiding their harmful effects. The technique described here may provide a good acute model of PD for the research of intracerebral cell transplantation. The chronic symptoms of this model and the differentiation control of transplanted cells will be the subject of future study.
