Grafts modulate dopamine transporters of the non-lesioned striatum

The effect of intraventricular fetal mesencephalic grafts placed in the previously 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned striatum on the kinetics of [3H]dopamine (DA) uptake into striatal synaptosomes prepared from the non-lesioned (contralateral) striatum was studied in rats. Using WIN 35,065 as specific [3H]DA uptake inhibitor, the equilibrium dissociation constant (Km) of [3H]DA uptake into synaptosomes of the non-lesioned (contralateral) striatum did not differ between grafted and nongrafted controls 7 months after grafting. However, the maximal rate of specific [3H]DA uptake (Vmax) was markedly decreased in the non-lesioned striatum of grafted animals. This result indicates that fetal mesencephalic grafts reduce the [3H]DNA uptake in the non-lesioned (contralateral) striatum by reducing the number of functional DA transporters.