Aluminum salts induce the accumulation of neurofilaments in perikarya of NB2a/dl neuroblastoma.
NB2a/dl neuroblastoma cells were exposed to aluminum chloride or aluminum lactate (0.1-1 mM) for 3 and 6 days. Additional cultures were exposed to aluminum salts as the cells were stimulated to elaborate axonal neurites by dibutyryl cyclic AMP. By phase-contrast microscopy, aluminum salts had no effect on the morphology of undifferentiated (NB2a(-] or differentiated (NB2a(+] cells, or on neuritic elaboration and maintenance. Silver straining by the Bielschowsky method, however, demonstrated argyrophilic accumulations in perikarya of many NB2a(-) and NB2a(+) cells treated with aluminum salts. At the ultrastructural level, whorls of intermediate filaments were the most prominent abnormalities in neuronal perikarya. Although phosphorylated high-molecular weight neurofilament subunits (NF-H) are normally detected by immunocytochemical analyses only within axonal neurites of NB2a/dl cells, aluminum salt treatment caused the detection of phosphorylated epitopes of NF-H within perikaryal of NB2a(-) and NB2a(+) cytoskeletons, suggesting that the argyrophilic filamentous accumulations are composed at least partly of phosphorylated NF-H.
Shea
T B
TB
Ralph Lowell Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02178.
Clarke
J F
JF
Wheelock
T R
TR
Paskevich
P A
PA
Nixon
R A
RA
D000535:Aluminum / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077410:Aluminum Chloride; D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007773:Lactates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019344:Lactic Acid; D051379:Mice; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D002712:Chlorides; D007773:Lactates; D019344:Lactic Acid; D000077410:Aluminum Chloride; D000535:Aluminum