Survival and growth of neurons with enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in fetal brain areas grafted to the anterior chamber of the eye

Areas of fetal rat brain and spinal cord known to contain enkephalin-like immunoreactive cell bodies and/or terminal fields were transplanted to the anterior chamber of the eye of adult rats. Enkephalin-like immunoreactive neurons survive and produce an enkephalin-like immunoreactive fiber network within grafts of spinal cord, ventral medulla oblongata, ventrolateral pons, tectum, locus coeruleus, substantia nigra and the areas containing columna fornicis and globus pallidus. Although single intraocular grafts of neocortex do not apparently contain enkephalin-like immunoreactive fibers, such grafts contain a variable amount of sparsely distributed enkephalin-like fibers when sequentially grafted in oculo with either locus coeruleus or spinal cord. Combinations of locus coeruleus and globus pallidus contained a rich enkephalin fiber network in the locus coeruleus part and a sparse innervation of the globus pallidus part.

We conclude that enkephalin-like immunoreactive neurons in small areas of fetal rat brain can be successfully transplanted to the anterior chamber of the eye. They are able to survive and develop to maturity in complete isolation from the rest of the brain. In general, the enkephalin-like immunoreactive fiber density in the various single grafts approximated that of their brain counterparts in situ. Fiber formation can be reinitiated in mature enkephalin-like immunoreactive neurons by addition of new brain target areas. Thus, the technique permits establishment of isolated, defined enkephalin systems and pathways accessible to functional analysis.