Ethanol and nerve growth factor effects on calcium homeostasis in cultured embryonic rat medial septal neurons before and during depolarization.
Ethanol and nerve growth factor (NGF) affect the survival of cholinergic neurons in the rat medial septum. To investigate whether calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis in these neurons is affected by ethanol or NGF treatment, changes in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) were studied in embryonic (E21) cultured medial septal neurons before stimulation (basal) and during stimulation with high potassium (K+). Changes in [Ca2+]i across time were measured in cultures of neurons treated without ethanol or with 100, 200, 400, or 800 mg% ethanol with NGF (+NGF) or without NGF (-NGF). Changes in [Ca2+]i were analyzed from fluorescence images, using indo-1. The effect of ethanol or NGF treatment was to reduce the rise in basal [Ca2+]i. The combination of ethanol and NGF treatment in +NGF neurons led to increases in basal [Ca2+]i with the greatest increase in basal [Ca2+]i occurring with 200 mg% ethanol. The effect of ethanol or NGF was to increase [Ca2+]i during stimulation with high K+. The greatest increases in [Ca2+]i occurred with 100 and 800 mg% ethanol. Together, ethanol and NGF treatment in +NGF-treated neurons led to significantly greater increases or decreases in K+ stimulated changes in [Ca2+]i compared to similarly treated -NGF neurons. We conclude that in medial septal neurons (before and during depolarization) changes in Ca2+ homeostasis occur in the presence of ethanol or NGF. The changes in [Ca2+]i following ethanol treatment are greater when NGF is present.
Webb
B
B
Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610-0244, USA.
Suarez
S S
SS
Heaton
M B
MB
Walker
D W
DW
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002614:Chelating Agents; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects*; D007211:Indoles; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009467:Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D002614:Chelating Agents; D007211:Indoles; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009467:Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; D000431:Ethanol; C048960:indo-1; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium