Fig. 8

Functional improvement of rd1 mice transplanted with eye-wall c-kit⁺/SSEA1⁻ progenitor cells. F-ERG tests and light/dark transition tests were performed at 4 and 8 weeks post transplantation. A F-ERG tests showed that the visual acuity of the rd1 mice were improved in each group with transplantation of c-kit⁺/SSEA1⁻ cells compared with corresponding controls (phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-injected and uninjected mice). B, C Transplanted eyes exhibit significantly increased a-wave (B) and b-wave (C) amplitudes after light flash compared with control eyes, though they did not reach the amplitude exhibited by normal wild-type mouse eyes. D The light/dark transition test box consisted of a dark compartment (one-third of the floor area) and a larger illuminated compartment (two-thirds). A small opening located at floor level in the center of the dividing wall allowed mice to freely move between the light and dark chambers. (E) Time spent in the light area by four groups of mice. The c-kit⁺/SSEA1⁻ cell-treated rd1 mice showed a behavioral aversion to light: they spent significantly more time in the dark chamber than either PBS-injected or uninjected rd1 mice. Data shown as the mean ± SD. *P < 0.05 vs PBS injection controls, #P < 0.05 vs uninjected controls. WT wild type (Color figure online)