Effect of Rho-kinase pathway on neurite outgrowth of rat hippocampal neurons under atomic force microscopy.
Hippocampal neurons of neonatal rats were cultured in serum-free culture medium for 5 days in vitro, and treated with the Rho-kinase inducer lysophosphatidic acid. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the numbers of level-1, -2 and -3 neurites protruding from rat hippocampal neurons was significantly reduced. After treatment with the Rho kinase inhibitor Y27632, a significant increase in the numbers of these neurites was observed. Our experimental findings indicate that the Rho-kinase pathway is closely associated with the neurites of hippocampal neurons.
Institute of Gastroenterology, Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510655, Guangdong Province, China.
Jing
J
Chen
Laboratory of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510655, Guangdong Province, China.
Hu
H
Hao
Department of Anatomy, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China.
Guoqing
G
Guo
Laboratory of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510655, Guangdong Province, China.
Sitao
S
Li
Laboratory of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510655, Guangdong Province, China.
Xin
X
Xiao
Rho-kinase; atomic force microscopy; hippocampus; nerve cells; neural regeneration; neurites; rats