title: Factors regulating the expression of acetylcholinesterase-containing neurons in striatal cultures: effects of chemical depolarization.
abstract: The influence of chemical depolarization on the survival and differentiation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-containing neurons was examined in primary rat striatal cultures, maintained in different types of media (serum-free and serum-supplemented) and substrate (poly-ornithine and astrocyte monolayer). Chronic application of 5 microM veratridine resulted in a significant loss of neurites by AChE-positive cells, while a higher concentration (20 microM) reduced the number of stained cell bodies. These effects appeared to be selective with regard to AChE-positive cells, as indicated by morphological observations of the cells in the treated cultures and receptor binding measurements. Similarly, elevation of extracellular KCl levels (20-60 mM) produced a dose-dependent neurite loss by AChE-containing cells. Blockers of voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels--verapamil (1 microM) and nifedipine (1 microM)--did not affect the veratridine-induced neurite loss, while tetrodotoxin (0.1 microM) had a partial effect. When cultures treated with 5 microM veratridine were allowed to recuperate for several days, the number of AChE-positive cells possessing neurites returned close to control values, thus indicating the reversibility of the effect of chemical depolarization. The possibility that chronic neuronal depolarization in the striatum might play a role in regulation of the neuronal processes outgrowth by AChE-containing cells is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dymshitz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malach
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amir
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simantov
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000032:analysis*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000187:drug effects; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000187:drug effects; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014701:Veratridine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D014701:Veratridine; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D009543:Nifedipine