Abstract: ObjectiveTo determine survival and differentiation of cultured neural stem cells (NSCs) into viable and functional neurons upon transplantation into the brain of MPTP-induced Parkinson's Disease (PD) mode micel.MethodsMice model of PD was established with intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP,40mg/kg) twice interspersed by 16 hr. Tissues isolated from an embryonic rat midbrain were cultured in clonal density. After labeled with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU), the NSCs were transplanted into the uni- or bilateral striatum of PD mice. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunofluorescence was used to evaluate the toxicity of MPTP on the neural cells in the substantia nigra. Immunohistochemistry and laser confocal were used to detect the survival and differentiation of transplanted NSCs.ResultsTH positive neural cells were significantly reduced in the substantia nigra after MPTP injection. Immunohistology showed that the uni-or bilateral transplanted NSCs could survive in the brains of PD model mice.Some transplanted NSCs could properly differentiate into targeted TH positive neural cells in vivo.ConclusionsThe transplanted multipotent NSCs could survive, differentiate into functional dopamine neurons in the brains of PD model mice.

Key words: neural stem cells, Parkinson's disease, cell transplantation, cell differentiation, mice