Estrogen treatment enhances survival of cultured fetal rat amygdala neurons in a defined medium.
Effects of estradiol on the survival of cultured fetal rat amygdala neurons were estimated to assess a possible organizational action of the sex steroid on the developing amygdala tissue. Dissociated 17-day fetal amygdala cells were cultivated initially in a serum-containing and then in a serum-free defined medium. The survival of the cells in the serum-free medium was highly enhanced when supplemented with estradiol at the concentration of 10 ng/ml. Predominant cell populations of the culture were identified as neuronal cells by the tetanus toxin labeling method. The results support the idea that sex steroids play a role in the brain sexual differentiation by enhancing the neuronal survival in the developing amygdala tissue.
D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects
D004958:Estradiol