BRAIN TISSUE TRANSPLANTS AND REPRODUCTIVE PROCESSES

尽管最近大鼠脑组织移植已被用于 调查功能集成的发展和潜力 移植的大脑区域，探索具有繁殖能力的重要大脑 使用这一新研究工具的过程尚未连贯一致 地址。在这方面，人们对S的确切机制知之甚少 哪种性腺激素(如睾丸激素)组织或改变 哺乳动物大脑的发育，以实现其有性和 神经解剖分化。因此，对这一建议的研究 第一节试图阐明类固醇的作用机制(S) 通过研究睾丸激素对大脑的影响 未成熟男性脑组织移植后的发育 接受移植的女性新生儿的大脑。将特别强调 性腺类固醇激素对移植后存活的可能影响 神经元，它们的神经解剖结构，以及它们对 迁移。作为脑组织移植改变神经的挑战 受体动物的功能，这项建议的第二个研究 将测试移植的男性脑组织是否有能力 建立与宿主雌性大脑的功能连接，这是有证据的 通过移植引起的受体动物性行为的改变 以及黄体生成素的分泌模式。如果大脑中的这种改变 功能被观察到，将不仅提供强有力的证据 用于移植组织的功能整合，但对于 临床应用脑组织移植恢复正常的可行性 对受损或患病的大脑区域起作用。对这一建议的研究 涉及一种新的实质内移植技术，旨在 将移植的脑组织分散放置在最自然的环境中 为其正常发展和建立功能连通性。 因此，这项提议是第一次全面尝试 研究脑生殖机制的发展和功能 通过使用脑组织移植。

Although brain tissue transplantation in rats has recently been used to investigate the development and potential for functional integration of transplanted brain regions, exploring reproductively-important brain processes with this new research tool has not yet been cohesively addressed. In this regard, little is known about the exact mechanism(s) by which gonadal hormones (such as testosterone) organize or alter the development of the mammalian brain to bring about its sexual and neuroanatomical differentiation. Therefore, the studies of this proposal's first section will attempt to elucidate the mechanism(s) of steroid action on the brain by investigating the effects of testosterone on the development of immature, male brain tissue after its transplantation into the brain of recipient female neonates. Particular emphasis will be given to possible gonadal steroid effects on the survival of transplanted neurons, their neuroanatomical structure, and their potential for migration. As a challenge for brain tissue transplants to alter the neural functions of recipient animals, the studies of this proposal's second section will test the ability of transplanted male brain tissue to establish functional connectivity with the host female brains, as evidenced by transplant-induced alterations in the recipient animals' sexual behavior and Luteinizing Hormone secretory patterns. If such modifications in brain functions are observed, strong evidence will have been provided not only for the functional integration of transplanted tissue, but for the feasibility of using brain tissue transplants clinically to restore normal function to damaged or diseased brain areas. The studies of this proposal involve a new intraparenchymal transplantation technique designed to discretely place transplanted brain tissue intothe most natural environment for its normal development and establishment of functional connectivity. As such, this proposal represents the first full-scale attempt to investigate the development and function of brain reproductive mechanisms through the use of brain tissue transplantation.