Every day, several million tons of eggshells are being generated as bio-waste across the world. This study demonstrates the synthesis of HA powder using dicalcium phosphate dehydrate (CaHPO 4 •2H 2 O, DCPD) and eggshell powders via ball milling and subsequent heat treatment. The formation of HA phase can be initiated by sintering the 1 h milled sample at 1000 • C for 1 h, while pure HA phase can be obtained upon sintering the 10 h milled sample. Additionally, the final products composed of biphasic calcium phosphate (HA + -TCP crystals) can easily be prepared by ball milling for 5 h followed by heat treatment at 1000 • C for 1 h. The carbonate peaks observed in the FTIR analysis of the as-prepared HA closely matched those of A-and B-type carbonates, which is typical of the biological apatite. The elemental composition of the as-synthesized HA showed the presence of Ca, P, Mg, and Sr.
This study was undertaken to address the effects of fetal mesencephalic tissue transplantation on the serotonin system in a rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD) while also investigating the usefulness of 4-[18 F]-ADAM (a serotonin transporter imaging agent) coupled with micro-PET for imaging serotonin transporters (SERTs). A PD model was induced by unilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the right medial forebrain bundle of the nigrostriatal pathway, while cell transplantation was performed via intrastriatal injection of mesencephalic brain tissue dissected from embryonic (E14) rats. The 4-[18 F]-ADAM/micro-PET scanning was performed following both 6-OHDA lesioning and transplantation. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) studies were also performed following the final PET scan, and the results were compared to show a 17-43% decrease in the specific uptake ratio (SUR) and a 23-52% decrease in serotonin transporter immunoreactivity (SERT-ir) within various brain regions on the lesioned side. The number of methamphetamine-induced rotations also decreased significantly at the 4th week postgraft. In addition, striatal SUR and the SERT-ir levels were restored to 77% and 83% 5 weeks postgraft. These results suggest that Parkinson's disease also affects the serotonergic system, while both the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems can be partially restored in a rat model of PD after E14 mesencephalic tissue transplantation. In addition, we have also determined that 4-[ 18 F]-ADAM/micro-PET can be used to detect serotonergic neuron loss, monitor the progress of Parkinson's disease, and oversee the effectiveness of therapy.
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