title: Alpha-tocopherol supports the survival and neurite extension of neurons cultured from various regions of fetal rat brain.
abstract: The effects of alpha-tocopherol on neurons of fetal rat brain were studied in tissue culture. alpha-Tocopherol supported the survival and enhanced neurite extension of neurons cultured from cerebral cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and septum. The survival effect was observed at concentrations of 10(-9) to 10(-6) M. More than 60% of the cortical neurons could survive for 9 days at 10(-7) or 10(-6) M alpha-tocopherol, whereas almost all neurons died within 2 days in its absence. These results suggest that alpha-tocopherol may be involved in mechanisms regulating neuronal survival and neurite formation in the central nervous system, and indicate that alpha-tocopherol may be an excellent reagent to facilitate neuronal survival in culture.
authors.affiliation: Biochemical Research Laboratory, Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., Kanagawa-ken, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014343:Trypan Blue; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D014343:Trypan Blue