To observe the effects of heterograft of glomus cells of carotid body on hemiparkinsonian rat models, rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced lesions of the right dopaminergic neurons of substantia nigra received intrastriatal glomus cells heterograft. Apomorphine-induced rotation was monitored for 30 min at various time points after grafting. The striata were cut and examined for dopamine content by HPLC and for immunohistochemical staining of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons (TH⁺) at the end of the experiments. The results showed that apomorphine-induced rotational behavior was significantly reduced for 12 weeks and the dopamine contents were significantly elevated after grafting (P<0.01), and TH⁺ cells survived better. The present study demonstrates that intrastriatal heterograft of glomus cells within carotid body in rats with 6-OHDA-elicited lesions could reduce apomorphine-induced rotational behavior and elevate the dopamine contents and numbers of TH⁺ cell surviving within striatum, and can serve as a new and effective alternative for Parkinson disease.

In order to study the modulatory effects of compound polysaccharide Erweikang on the immune function of the immunosuppressive mice, the positive immune modulation of Erweikang at different doses and different time points was compared when normal saline and cyclophosphamide served as controls. The results showed that different doses of Erweikang could effectively reverse the decreased induction levels of NK, IL-2, γ-IFN and the contents of TNF and IgG of the immunosuppressive mice after administration of Erweikang for 7 to 14 days. It was suggested that compound polysaccharide Erweikang presents positive immune modulation in dose- and time-dependent manners.