In Vivo Bioluminescent Imaging of CD-NS/PCs

In the first preliminary experiment, a Xenogen-IVIS 100 imaging system (PerkinElmer, Waltham, MA, USA) was used for in vivo bioluminescent imaging (BLI), as described previously.^{25 (link),26 (link)} Three mice anesthetized with isoflurane gas were intraperitoneally injected with 300 mg/kg of d-luciferin (VivoGlo Luciferin; Promega, Madison, WI, USA) and placed on a warmed stage inside the camera box of the IVIS imaging system coupled with a charge-coupled device camera. Images were quantified as photons per minute for CD-NS/PCs. To evaluate the migration activity of CD-NS/PCs, BLI was used to monitor CD-NS/PCs in vivo. TBI was made on the anterior-left side, as described above. Next, CD-NS/PCs were transplanted into the contralateral side (right striatum). Histological analysis was performed after sacrificing mice by decapitation on postoperative day 35. Images were quantified as photons per minute for CD-NS/PCs.