Abstract
Long-Evans rats with unilateral lesions of the dorsal inferior colliculus (IC) received transplants of fetal tectal tissue to determine functional efficacy. Acoustic stimulation increases metabolic activity in both graft and host tissues relative to spontaneous activity in these regions. During periods of quiescence, graft tissue shows basal metabolic activity similar to that found in host IC. Coupled with previous anatomical findings, the results suggest that tectal grafts not only possess a neural structure resembling normal adult IC, but also contain cellular constituents which are responsive to sound. Given the apparent system-appropriate function of implanted fetal tectum, the graft tissue may be able to have a restorative effect within the damaged central auditory pathway.
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