Alteration of kainic acid and quinolinic acid toxicity by neostriatal transplants in vitro

Mature (>21 days in vitro) organotypic cortcostriatal cultures prepared from newborn rat brain were incubated in either kainic acid (KA) 10 −3 M or quinolinic acid (QUIN) 10 −3 M for up to 48 h. Other identical cultures were similarly incubated immediately after they had received one or two additional explants of neonatal striatal tissue placed beside each corticostriatal culture. The cultures incubated with either KA or QUIN in the presence of the neonatal striatal tissue showed better preservation than cultures incubated with KA or QUIN alone. Results suggest that the neonatal striatal explants or ‘transplants’ afford some protective effect against the toxicity or either KA or QUIN.