title: Early changes of surface morphology in monolayer cultures of neural retina cells. The effect of p-bromophenacyl bromide.
abstract: Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the surface morphology of neural retina cells from fetal rats. Dissociated cells were plated on polyornithine and examined after 1.5-3.0 hr in vitro. A quantitative analysis of the proportion of cells with and without processes was made and the former were classified according to the length and number of their processes. Treatment with p-bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), a selective inhibitor of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), induced significant changes on the early surface activity of retinal cells. An inhibitory effect on cell process formation was observed in monolayers grown for 2 hr in the presence of BPB: process formation was also inhibited when high concentrations (10(-6) M or more) were applied as a 30 min pulse, whereas a similar pulse of a lower concentration (10(-7) M) stimulated the appearance of cells with short processes. These observations suggest that PLA2 or some other BPB-reactive substance is involved in the extension of neural cell processes.
mesh_terms: D000098:Acetophenones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009474:Neurons / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010740:Phospholipases / Q000502:physiology*; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000502:physiology*; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000098:Acetophenones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010740:Phospholipases; D010741:Phospholipases A; D054467:Phospholipases A2; C006821:4-bromophenacyl bromide