The influence of donor age on cografting of adrenal medulla with pretransected peripheral nerve

Pretransected peripheral nerve has been demonstrated to enhance the survival of cografted adrenal medullary chromaffin cells and the recovery of host dopaminergic (DA) systems in animal models of Parkinson's disease. In the present study, we examined the effect of donor age on survival of cografted chromaffin cells. Adrenal medulla and pretransected peripheral nerve from young (1-month-old) or aging (12-month-old) donors were cografted into the striatum of MPTP-treated young (2-month-old) C57/BL mice. Although chromaffin cell survivability was increased by cografting with pretransected peripheral nerve despite donor age, survivability of chromaffin cells from aging donors was less than that using young donors. Image analysis of striatal DA fibers and chemical analysis of striatal DA showed that cografting with pretransected peripheral nerve enhanced the recovery of striatal DA systems more prominently than adrenal grafting alone. However, this effect was less in mice receiving aging donor tissues compared with mice receiving young donor tissues.