Neurite outgrowth-regulating properties of GABA and the effect of serum on mouse spinal cord neurons in culture.
Time-lapse photography was used to examine the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on the outgrowth and motility of neurites in cultures from mouse spinal cord. GABA at concentrations of 100, 10 and 1 microM caused significant inhibition of neurite outgrowth and the motility of growth cones was significantly reduced by treatment with 100 and 10 microM GABA. This effect was mimicked by the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen, whereas the GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol had no effect. The effect of GABA on outgrowth and motility seems to be dependent on the type of serum employed. The results reported here were obtained only when heat-inactivated serum was used and not when non heat-inactivated serum was added to the culture medium. They suggest that GABA has a role in the regulation of process outgrowth within the embryonic mouse spinal cord.
Department of Anatomy, St Bartholomew's and Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary and Westfield College, UK.
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D000818:Animals; D001418:Baclofen / Q000494:pharmacology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
D003470:Culture Media; D018755:GABA Agonists; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D009118:Muscimol; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D001418:Baclofen