title: Does 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) disrupt cell proliferation and neuronal maturation in the adult rat hippocampus in vivo?
abstract: 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) is frequently used as a mitotic marker in studies of cell proliferation. Recent studies have reported cytotoxic effects of BrdU on neural progenitor cells in embryonic and neonatal brains in vivo and in adult tissue studied in vitro. The present study was conducted to assess whether BrdU interferes with cell proliferation and neuronal maturation in the rat adult hippocampus in vivo. BrdU effects across a wide range of doses (40-480 mg/kg) on cell proliferation and the population of immature neurons in the adult hippocampus were investigated using immunohistochemical labeling methods for the cell cycle marker Ki67 and a marker for immature neurons, doublecortin. BrdU did not influence cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus or the population of immature neurons observed in the adult hippocampus relative to those observed in saline treated controls. Thus, in contrast with reports of deleterious effects of BrdU in embryonic and neonatal tissue and adult tissue studied in vitro, BrdU does not appear to have cytotoxic effects on proliferating hippocampal cells or immature neurons in vivo in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403-5612, United States.
authors.forename: Aneeka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hancock
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Priester
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kidder
authors.forename: Julian R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Keith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000633:toxicity*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans
chemical_list: C000714848:Dcx protein, rat; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine