INTRACEREBRAL GRAFTING OF FETAL DORSAL PONS IN GENETICALLY EPILEPSY-PRONE RATS - EFFECTS ON AUDIOGENIC-INDUCED SEIZURES

The present experiments investigated if dorsal pontine tissue obtained from 16-day postconception rat fetuses and stereotaxically transplanted into the dorsal hippocampus or third ventricle of genetically epilepsyprone rats (GEPRs) would alter the expression of audiogenic seizures. Of eight GEPR-9s receiving pontinetissue grafts bilaterally into the dorsal hippocampus, none showed any reduction in AGS severity. In contrast, three of five GEPR-9s receiving grafts into the third ventricle eventually displayed a decreased seizure severity following transplantation. Of five GEPR-3s receiving transplants into the hippocampus, one animal showed a gradual and significant reduction in seizure severity after transplantation. Tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry showed that transplanted tissue contained abundant TH-immunoreactive profiles including perikarya and fibers. The results of these preliminary studies suggest that the GEPR model of epilepsy may be useful in studying the corrective potential of neurotransplants. © 1991.