title: Nerve growth factors prevent glutamate toxicity in cortical neuronal cultures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if nerve growth factors (NGF) can protect against glutamate-induced cortical neuron damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neuron viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) efflux in the bathing medium in primary cultures from 17-d-old mouse fetal cortex were measured to assay NGF effect. Imaging of the calcium indicator dye Fura-2 was used to measure the [Ca2+]i.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The LD50 for NGF-free glutamate was 0.2 mmol.L-1 (95% confidence limits 0-1.6 mmol.L-1). In the presence of NGF 60 micrograms.L-1, 59% of the neurons survived in glutamate 1.6 mmol.L-1. The protective effect afforded by NGF was maximal at 60 micrograms.L-1, at which it prevented the elevation in [Ca2+]i.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NGF protect cortical neurons against glutamate-induced toxicity via "stabilizing" [Ca2+]i level or suppression of the rise in [Ca2+]i.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Nanjing University, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: G Z
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Z X
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D005333:Fetus; D051379:Mice; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D012970:Sodium Glutamate / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D002118:Calcium; D012970:Sodium Glutamate