L-carnitine accelerates the in vitro regeneration of neural network from adult murine brain cells.
The development, growth and regeneration of nerve cells remain an unresolved issue. The up-to-date reported brain repair mechanisms are numerous and evidence suggests that, apart from the required trophism, tropism, microenvironment and specificity of the brain, a plethora of chemical, physiological and immunological compounds can contribute to such events. Among these compounds, we concentrated our interest on L-carnitine (L-Cn), which regulates the beta-oxidation of long chain fatty acids necessary for brain development, myelinization and growth. In contrast to fetal brain cells that grow easily in culture, adult brain cells show limited neurogenesis. Here, using adult brain cells from experimental mice, we show that although L-Cn does not improve their proliferative activity in short-term cultures, it accelerates the growth and differentiation of neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and ependymal cells from neurospheres in long-term cultures. Thus, the formation of a confluent neural network requires a 2-month period in culture. These observations provide new insights for in vivo use of L-Cn to support brain cell development in cases of injury or brain degenerative diseases.
Athanassakis
I
I
Department of Biology, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 714-09 Heraklion, Crete, Greece. athan@biology.uoc.gr
Zarifi
I
I
Evangeliou
A
A
Vassiliadis
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D002331:Carnitine