title: Calcium indicators and excitotoxicity in cultured cortical neurons.
abstract: Membrane-permeating, fluorescent Ca2+ indicators have been used to investigate the role of increased intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i) levels in excitotoxic neuronal injury, but their ability to chelate Ca2+i and their own toxic effects in some cells could obscure this relationship. N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-stimulated Ca2+i responses and toxicity were measured in neuron-enriched rat cerebrocortical cultures loaded with either fluo-3 or fura-2. Ca2+i responses signaled by both indicators were similar in magnitude, and neither indicator reduced NMDA toxicity, measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Fluo-3 and fura-2 appear to be suitable for comparative studies of NMDA-induced Ca2+i responses and excitotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Ahern
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lustig
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000633:toxicity*; D016257:Fura-2 / Q000633:toxicity*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000633:toxicity; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014966:Xanthenes / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D014966:Xanthenes; C059715:Fluo-3; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2