title: Effects of vitamin B6 and its related compounds on survival of cultured brain neurons.
abstract: The effects of pyridoxine and its derived cofacter, pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) on the survival of primary cultured neurons from fetal rat brain were investigated. Pyridoxine and PLP significantly promoted the neuronal survival of various brain regions in high cell density culture (10(5) cells/cm2), but showed no positive effects on hippocampal neurons in low cell density culture (5 x 10(3) cells/cm2). This neurotrophic effect of PLP was remarkably suppressed by picrotoxin and ifenprodil. Aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA), an inhibitor of PLP dependent enzymes, caused significant neuronal loss by itself, and largely counteracted the neurotrophic effect of PLP. Taken together, we presume that vitamin B6 afforded the survival-promoting activities of cultured neurons by virtue of its crucial coenzymatic actions in the biosynthesis of putative neurotransmitters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pharmacology, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katsuki
mesh_terms: D000625:Aminooxyacetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018682:GABA Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000625:Aminooxyacetic Acid; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018682:GABA Agents; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D010852:Picrotoxin; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate; D011736:Pyridoxine