title: Stimulation of non-neuronal cell proliferation in vitro by mitogenic factors present in highly purified sympathetic neurons.
abstract: Sympathetic neurons have been demonstrated to contain one or more mitogens which are active on highly purified non-neuronal cells cultured in medium containing an optimal concentration of fetal calf serum. Neurons and homologous non-neuronal cells were separated by a method recently developed in this laboratory. The highly purified neurons were either sonicated or homogenized prior to addition to nonneuronal cultures. The presence of neuronal sonicate (1) greatly stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation into acid-precipitable macromolecules without altering the soluble [3H]thymidine pool, (2) increased both the fraction of non-neuronal cells which took up [3H]thymidine and the density of labeling as observed by autoradiography, and (3) increased the number of cells present in treated cultures after 40 h. The enhancement of [3H]thymidine incorporation was dose-dependent and did not involve cyclic AMP. Addition of neuronal sonicate also caused marked non-neuronal cell elongation which resulted in the elaboration of very long cell processes. The active factor(s) in the neuronal sonicate were partially heat-labile. Norepinephrine was ruled out as a possible mitogenic factor.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D002452:Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D002642:Chick Embryo; D046508:Culture Techniques; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D005725:Ganglia, Autonomic; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D013936:Thymidine; D009638:Norepinephrine