Herbimycin A induces sympathetic neuron survival and protects against hypoxia.
We have examined how herbimycin affects the survival and neuritogenesis of avian sympathetic neurons. Herbimycin promoted sympathetic neuron survival and neuritogenesis. At higher concentrations (> or = 100 ng/ml), herbimycin still enhanced neuron survival but blocked neuritogenesis. Addition of herbimycin (10-30 ng/ml) to neurons cultured in the presence of NGF or retinal conditioned medium altered neuronal morphology, with an increase in the number of neurites. Addition of NGF during hypoxia rescued 52% of the neurons compared to 14% survival in control conditions. Herbimycin alone rescued about 50% of the neurons. In the presence of NGF and 100 ng/ml herbimycin, 81% of the neurons survived hypoxia. Our results show that herbimycin promotes survival of chick sympathetic neurons and potentiates the effects of NGF.
Cabral-da-Silva
M C
MC
Programa de Neurobiologia, IBCCF, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
dos Santos
N E Loureiro
NE
de Mello
F G
FG
Taylor
J S H
JS
Tolkovsky
A M
AM
Linden
R
R
Reis
R A M
RA
D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D016227:Benzoquinones; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D047029:Lactams, Macrocyclic; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011809:Quinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017828:Rifabutin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
D016227:Benzoquinones; D047029:Lactams, Macrocyclic; D011809:Quinones; D017828:Rifabutin; C020754:herbimycin