Mesenchymal stem cells constitute an potential cellular source to promote brain regeneration with Parkinson's disease. Mesenchymal stem cells have significant advantages over other stem cell types and greater potential for immediate clinical application. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether hMSCs from the human adipose tissue could be induced to differentiate into dopaminergic cells and to assess the developmental potential of hMSC for selectively replacing the midbrain dopamine neurons lost in Parkinson's disease in vitro and in vivo. MSCs were cultured under conditions that promote differentiation of dopaminergic neuron. Using media that include SHH, FGF8, and GDNF. the MSCs were induced in vitro to become dopaminergic neurons. The expressions of the LIM homeobox transcription factor 1, alpha (Lmx1a), tyrosine hydroxylase(TH) proteins were determined by immunofluorescence. Lmx1a has been shown sufficient to confer neurogenic activity on mesencephalic floor plate cells and to determine a mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons fate. This result suggests that hMSCs have the ability to differfentiate into dopaminergic neurons. hMSCs were then transplanted into the striatal in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. The rats were unilaterally lesioned in the substantia nigra with 6-hydroxydopamine and were tested for rotational apomorphine-induced behavior. Following differentiation of dopaminergic neuron, cells displayed dopaminergic morphology and that they expressed dopaminergic marks genes. Finally transplantation of hMSCs into the striatal of Parkinsonian rats resulted in improvement of their behavioral deficits by apomorphine-induced rotational behavior. The hMSCs transplanted rats were proved to be better than compared with the transplantation of PBS. Immunohistochemical analysis of grafted brains revealed that abundant hMSCs survived from the grafts and some of them displayed dopaminergic marks. Our results indicate that hMSC may serve as a good cell source for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and have high potential for being used in multiple applications. This cellular approach might become a restorative therapy in Parkinson's disease.

Sweet pepper inbred lines (KNU1003, KNU1006, KNU1007, KNU1009, KNU1015, KNU1017 and KNU2006) developed at Kangwon National University (KNU) through conventional means, inbred lines (5AVS1, 5AVS2, 5AVS3, 5AVS5, 5AVS7 and 5AVS8) collected at Rural Development Administration (RDA) and inbred lines (SP12, SP27 and SP14) derived from anther culture were used as female parents and anther culture derived homozygous lines (SP9, SP10, SP14, SP24, SP25, SP27, SP30, SP32, SP34, SP38, SP43, SP45 and SP51) were used as male parents to produce F1 hybrids. A total of 37 F1 hybrids were evaluated for fruit yield and quality characters in summer season, 2007. Variation in fruit number, fruit weight, fruit yield per plant and fruit volume was observed among the F1 hybrids. Superiority on yield over standard/commercial varieties were differed among F1 hybrids. Hybrid 5AVS8 x SP45 exhibited highest heterosis over Special (16.5%) and Fiesta (24.7%). Fruit quality characters (fruit length, fruit width, pericarp thickness, total soluble solid, fruit shape and fruit color) were varied among the F1 hybrids. Fruit number, fruit weight and fruit volume per plant were correlated with fruit yield. Based on the standard heterosis expressed by the hybrids and quality characters evaluation, KNU1017 x SP27, 5AVS1 x SP43, 5AVS5 x SP27, 5AVS8 x SP45, SP12 x SP38 and SP27 x SP25 hybrids were found to be superior over commercial cultivars and are selected. Inbred lines of these hybrid combinations can be used to produce F1 hybrid seed for commercial production.