Dibutyryl cyclic AMP-induced changes in neuron-astroglia interactions and fibronectin immunocytochemistry in dissociated rat cerebellar cultures.
In mixed primary embryonic CNS cultures flat astroglia grow exclusively underneath the initially formed neuronal network. This invasive under-growth results in neuronal detachment and degeneration. The present study sought to find out whether or not morphological differentiation of astroglia, from flat to process-bearing cells, could alter astroglial-neuronal growth relationships in rat cerebellar cultures. Morphological differentiation of astroglia was induced by treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP. The results demonstrate that in contrast to flat astroglia, large stellate astroglia can grow over the neurite bundles, and that in these dibutyryl cyclic AMP-treated cultures neurons can persist. Immunocytochemical studies show that the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin is present in these cultures and appears to be associated with flat astroglia rather than with stellate astroglia. The study indicates that in the presence of dibutyryl cyclic AMP transformed stellate astroglia interact differently with neurons and with the growth substratum as compared with flat astroglia.
Gilad
G M
GM
Neuropsychiatry Branch, NIMH Neuroscience Center, St. Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, DC 20032.
Shanker
G
G
Dahl
D
D
Gilad
V H
VH
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051381:Rats
D005353:Fibronectins; D003994:Bucladesine