title: The response of primary cultured adult mouse sensory neurons to ethanol, propanol, acetaldehyde and acrolein treatments.
abstract: Primary cultures of adult mouse sensory neurons maintained for 8 days in vitro (8 div), in both the presence of non-neuronal cell (NNC) outgrowth and in NNC-reduced cultures, were exposed to doses of ethanol, propanol, acetaldehyde and acrolein. The effects on cell viability were monitored: LD50's of 600 microM acrolein and 100 mM propanol were obtained after 24 h exposures and after 48 h with 1 mM acetaldehyde and 500 mM ethanol. Morphological effects were evident by scanning electron microscopy with sub-acute doses for each agent, using both lower concentrations and shorter exposures. Membrane pitting of the perikaryon and a reduction in the proportion of neurons bearing neurites were common signs of toxic insult. The neurites of treated cells were thicker and more irregular than those of untreated cells; this proved a good indicator of specific neurotoxicity rather than merely a cytotoxic response. Fetal calf serum in the medium lessened the response of neurons to ethanol treatments. Comparison with other in vitro studies suggests these primary cultures are a more sensitive system than established cell lines of neuronal origin for use in neurotoxicity testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Glasgow, Scotland.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Orr
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Haetzman
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: MacPherson
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Storey
mesh_terms: D000433:1-Propanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000633:toxicity*; D000171:Acrolein / Q000633:toxicity*; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D000431:Ethanol; D000171:Acrolein; D000433:1-Propanol; D000079:Acetaldehyde