Influence of epidermal growth factor on the maturation of fetal rat brain cells in aggregate culture. An immunocytochemical study.
Maturation of astrocytes, neurons, and oligodendrocytes was studied in serum-free aggregating cell cultures of fetal rat telencephalon by an immunocytochemical approach. Cell type-specific immunofluorescence staining was examined by using antibodies directed against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin, two astroglial markers; neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilament (NF), two neuronal markers, and galactocerebroside (GC), an oligodendroglial marker. It was found that the cellular maturation in aggregates is characterized by distinct developmental increases in immunoreactivity for GFAP, vimentin, NSE, NF, and GC, and by a subsequent decrease of vimentin-positive structures in more differentiated cultures. These findings are in agreement with observations in vivo, and they corroborate previous biochemical studies of this histotypic culture system. Treatment of very immature cultures with a low dose of epidermal growth factor (EGF, 5 ng/ml) enhanced the developmental increase in GFAP, NSE, NF and GC immunoreactivity, suggesting an acceleration of neuronal and glial maturation. In addition, EGF was found to alter the cellular organization within the aggregates, presumably by influencing cell migration.
Monnet-Tschudi
F
F
Institut de Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland.
Honegger
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005699:Galactosylceramides / Q000032:analysis; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000032:analysis; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis
D015415:Biomarkers; D005699:Galactosylceramides; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D014746:Vimentin; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase