Pain-reducing Effect by Transplants of Isolated Xenogeneic Chromaffin Cells in Mouse.

Han, Young Min; Lee, Jong Phil; Hwang, Hyung Sik; Song, Joon Ho; Park, Sang Koo; Park, Suk Ju; Jin, Jae Kwang; Choi, Eun Kyoung; Kim, Yong Sun; Ahn, Myung Soo

Original Article

Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 2001;30(4): 417-424.

Young Min Han, Jong Phil Lee, Hyung Sik Hwang, Joon Ho Song, Sang Koo Park, Suk Ju Park, Jae Kwang Jin, Eun Kyoung Choi, Yong Sun Kim, Myung Soo Ahn

¹Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea.
²Department of Institute of Environment and Life Science, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea.
³Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Havard Medical School, Boston, MS, USA.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE
Adrenal medullary chromaffin cells are known to release analgesic substances such as opioides and catecholamines. Transplantation of them is a novel method that challenges current approaches in treating chronic pain. The transplantation of xenogeneic chromaffin cells into the central nervous system(CNS) supply antinociception in animals. In this study, we investigated the analgesic effects of rat adrenal medullary chromaffin cells transplanted into the CNS of the mouse. To study the antinociceptive efficacy of transplanted chromaffin cells, the survival of rat adrenal medullary chromaffin cells transplanted into the CNS of mouse was determined.
METHODS
The adrenal medullary chromaffin cells isolated from rat were transplanted into the striatum of mouse. These cells were confirmed of the release of Met-enkephalin and Leu-enkephalin by HPLC, and immunoblots for tyrosine hydroxylase(TH). Two weeks after transplantation, we performed immunohistochemistry for TH to determine the survival of implanted cells and assessed pain sensitivity at the same time.
RESULTS
The isolated rat adrenal medullary chromaffin cells were positive for anti-TH antibody and released Met-enkephalin and Leu-enkephalin more than rat endothelial cells. Transplanted rat chromaffin cells were stained with anti-TH antibody in striatum of mouse after 2 weeks. Pain sensitivity was reduced on the chromaffin cell-transplanted mouse compared to endothelial cell-transplanted mouse by the hot plate test.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that the rat chromaffin cells were suitably transplanted into the CNS of mouse. This approach could be used as a therapy for reducing of chronic pain induced by cancer or neuronal injury.

Key Words: Adrenal medullary chromaffin cell; Transplants; Enkephalin; Antinociception