title: 2-Mercaptoethanol is a survival factor for olfactory, cortical and hippocampal neurons in short-term dissociated cell culture.
abstract: A medium originally designed for lymphocyte growth promoted robust survival of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in short-term (4-day), dissociated cell culture. The key ingredient for survival of neurons in both serum and serum-free conditions was 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME). Enhancement of survival may be thiol-mediated because two other thiol compounds, 2-mercaptoethylamine and monothioglycerol, also increased ORN survival. Addition of 2-ME also significantly increased survival of embryonic cortical and hippocampal neurons in a serum-free medium, and embryonic cortical neurons in a serum-containing medium. After plating and growth in a serum-free medium containing 2-ME, survival of all three types of neurons was equivalent to, or greater than, survival in serum-containing media. Thus, thiols such as 2-ME promote the survival of multiple types of neurons in short-term cell culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45267-0521.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Grill
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Pixley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D003543:Cysteamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005990:Glycerol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003543:Cysteamine; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; C009465:thioglycerol; D005990:Glycerol