Studies have demonstrated that embryonic
cell therapy is a potential approach for the treatment of
Huntington's disease (HD). However, because of the limited resource of embryos, greater attention is needed in developing more efficient surgical techniques that not only enhance the
therapy outcome but also avoid inefficient
therapeutics of
transplantation. In this study, we explored the curative effects of two different
transplantation methods using a rat model of HD. Whole ganglionic eminence (WGE) cells or
phosphate-buffered saline were transplanted into unilateral striatum of
quinolinic acid (QA)-lesioned rats using microtransplantation instruments (with an outer diameter of 50 μm) or traditional
transplantation instruments (with an outer diameter of 470 μm).
Apomorphine-induced rotation test and adjusting step test were assessed after QA-induced lesion and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks after
transplantation. The expression of neuronal nuclei (NeuN),
dopamine, cAMP-regulated
phosphoprotein of molecular weight 32 kDa (DARPP-32), and
glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was analyzed at 12 weeks after
transplantation. We observed that microtransplanted rats performed better in the stepping test and had higher numbers of DARPP-32-positive cells compared with traditionally transplanted rats. Moreover, microtransplantation group showed lower GFAP expression surrounding the grafts in unilateral striatum and a higher survival rate posttransplantation compared with the traditional
transplantation group. We conclude that microtransplantation is capable of enhancing therapeutic efficacy in the rat model of HD. This finding establishes the basis of an alternative
transplantation strategy for treatment of HD.