title: Different in vitro toxicity of ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) on sensory neurons and Schwann cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the neurotoxicity induced by Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA), ricin A chain (RTA), and trichosanthin (TCS) in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rat neurons and Schwann cells were cultured and real-time up-take of RIPs was traced. TUNEL, Annexin V and DAPI were employed to study the mechanism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The purity of both primary neuronal and Schwann cell cultures attained 80-90%. In neuritis, transport of FITC-RCA was demonstrated, but RTA and TCS were not detected. RCA elicited the strongest TUNEL and annexin V signals in both cultures. RTA evoked a stronger apoptotic signal than TCS in neurons. In contrast, compared with TCS, RTA elicited an attenuated apoptotic reaction in Schwann cells. All internalized RIPs were concentrated in the cytoplasm of the cells and their nuclei were not stained by DAPI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The toxicity of these RIPs on neurons is different from that on Schwann cells. Although they enter cells by different mechanisms they all induce apoptosis. These results may find application in in vivo neural lesioning studies and clinical therapy.
authors: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Wai-Man
authors: WM
authors: Tong
authors: Ou
authors: O
authors: Sha
authors: Tzi-Bun
authors: TB
authors: Ng
authors: Eric Y P
authors: EY
authors: Cho
authors: Wing-Hang
authors: WH
authors: Kwong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002367:Ricinus communis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000633:toxicity*; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012276:Ricin / Q000633:toxicity*; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D015978:Trichosanthin / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D037121:Plant Lectins; C017707:Ricinus communis agglutinin-1; D015978:Trichosanthin; D012276:Ricin