title: Enhanced neurite growth in cultured neuroblastoma cells exposed to aluminum.
abstract: Patients with aluminum-induced encephalopathy syndromes have been shown to have a high level of aluminum concentration in the brain. In the present study, the effects of aluminum were studied in mouse neuroblastoma cells (N-2A) grown in medium supplemented with aluminum (100 microM). It was found that aluminum enhanced neurite growth within 2 days of exposure. The mean total length of neurites in the control after 14 days in culture was 29.8 +/- 4.7 microns, whereas the neurite length of cells pre-exposed to aluminum for 2 days and then maintained in normal media for an additional 12 days was 56.4 +/- 8.9 microns. Further, the duration of exposure did not significantly promote a greater neurite response. The neurite length of cells exposed to aluminum for 14 days (60.7 +/- 9.6 microns) was not statistically different from that of cells exposed to aluminum for 2 days. Using morin stain, intracellular aluminum was detected within 24 h of exposure in the majority of aluminum-exposed cells. Intracellular aluminum did not disappear from those cells even after they were grown for 12 days in control medium. Our finding suggests that a brief exposure (2 days) to low level aluminum (100 microM) is sufficient to cause long-lasting effects on the morphology of neuroblastoma cells in culture. Such neurite behavior associated with aluminum exposure may suggest a morphological basis for the dementia seen in aluminum encephalopathy.
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism; D000535:Aluminum / Q000633:toxicity*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005419:Flavonoids; D016501:Neurites / Q000502:physiology*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D047309:Flavones
chemical_list: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; D000535:Aluminum; D005419:Flavonoids; C008548:morin; D047309:Flavones