Transplantation of dissociated embryonic brain cells in the brain of adult normal rats and rats subjected to hypoxia

3H-thymidine-labelled dissociated brain cells of rat embryos were implanted in the brain of adult normal and hypoxia-subjected rats. In both cases these cells survived successfully, differentiated into neurons and glial cells and remained viable throughout the whole experimental period (60 days). These cells were able to synthesize DNA and divide. Dissociated cells of rat embryo brains tended to aggregate after transplantation and were present not only as single neurons but also as large neuronal assemblies having the shape of islets and columns. These cells promoted considerable normalization of degenerated rat cortical neurons after hypoxia.