title: Selected nutrients reduce the pyruvate requirement for survival in vitro of chick central nervous system neurons.
abstract: Central nervous system neurons, cultured as monolayers at low density, need exogenous pyruvate for their survival. The pyruvate concentrations required by embryonic day 8 (E8) chick forebrain neurons are reduced substantially by other low molecular weight agents present in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) and in astroglia-conditioned Eagle's basal medium (EBM). To examine the nature of these pyruvate-sparing molecules, E8 chick forebrain neurons were cultured in EBM containing a concentration of pyruvate too low to support neuronal survival, unless sparing agents were supplied. This strategy permitted the identification of the pyruvate-sparing DMEM constituents, omission of which had led to neuronal loss. Pyruvate sparing required a mixture of (i) serine, (ii) pyridoxal (or riboflavin and biotin), and (iii) six essential amino acids: arginine, cystine, leucine, isoleucine, tyrosine, and tryptophan (each replaceable by corresponding amino acids, except tryptophan). All pyruvate-sparing contributors were optimally needed at or near their DMEM concentrations.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001710:Biotin / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain; D002470:Cell Survival; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D046508:Culture Techniques; D011730:Pyridoxal / Q000378:metabolism; D011773:Pyruvates / Q000378:metabolism*; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D012256:Riboflavin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D011773:Pyruvates; D011730:Pyridoxal; D001710:Biotin; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D012256:Riboflavin