title: Effect of cytosine arabinoside on rat cerebral explants: fibroblasts and reactive microglial cells as the primary cellular barrier to neurite growth.
abstract: Rat cerebral explants were cultured in the presence or absence of the mitotic inhibitor cytosine arabinoside (AraC) to investigate whether reports of increased neurite outgrowth may be primarily related to a decreased incidence of fibroblastic-reactive microglial cells. Treated explants were exposed to AraC from 7 to 10 days in vitro (DIV) and processed for transmission electron microscopy at 18 DIV. Morphometric analysis of the outgrowth zone revealed a statistically significant decrease in the incidence of fibroblastic-reactive microglial cells (from 12 to 0%), and a significant increase in the incidence of protoplasmic astrocytic-epithelial cells (from 82 to 96%), for AraC-treated explants compared to controls. In contrast, the incidence of fibrous astrocytes was similar to that of control explants (4 and 6%, respectively). Thus, it appears that AraC may primarily enhance neurite growth by curtailing the proliferation of fibroblastic-reactive microglial cells. These results suggest that fibroblastic-reactive microglial cells, rather than fibrous astrocytes, may constitute the primary cellular barrier to neurite growth.
authors: Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: D E
authors: DE
authors: Oorschot
authors: D G
authors: DG
authors: Jones
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine