Transplant Of Encapsulated Astrocyte Ameliorate Lesion-Induced Motor Deficits In Adults Rats With Frontal Cortex Injury

Objetive: To investigate whether transplants of encapsulated astrocytes in alginate spheres were able to recover the deficit in motor skills produced by frontal cortex lesion, in adult rats.Material and method: Male Wistar rats were used. Behavioral test, tissue culture, astrocyte transplants and immunocytochemical and histological techniques were applied. Animals were conditioned in a paw reaching for food task and the preferred paw determine. Lesion was produced in the frontal cortex contralateral to the preferred paw and the effectiveness of the lesion tested. In one group of lesion animals, encapsulated astrocytes in alginate spheres were implanted in the lesion cavity; in a second group, fetal cortical tissue was used as donor material; while in a third group empty alginate spheres were implanted.Results: Three months after grafting, the rats with encapsulated astrocyte or with fetal cortical tissue transplants ameliorated the lesion-induced motor deficit. The rats with implant of empty alginate spheres showed no improvement.Conclusion: Transplants of encapsulated astrocytes in alginate spheres induce a long-term improvement of motor lesion deficits. The alginate induced long-term side effects on the host.