Neurotoxic glutamate treatment of cultured cerebellar granule cells induces Ca2+ -dependent collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential and ultrastructural alterations of mitochondria

Rhodamine 123 staining and electron microscopy were used to reveal a correlation between the ultrastructural and functional state of cultured cerebellar granule cells after short glutamate treatment. Glutamate exposure (15 min, 100 microM) in Mg2+-free solution caused considerable ultrastructural alterations in a granule cell: clumping of the chromatin, swelling of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and disruption of the mitochondrial cristae. After glutamate treatment, the mitochondria of the neurons lost their ability to sequester rhodamine 123. Both the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor channel blocker MK-801 (30 microM) and cobalt chloride (2 mM) prevented the deteriorative effects of glutamate. These data suggest that glutamate-induced Ca2+ overload of the neurons can lead to non-specific permeability of the inner mitochondrial membrane, resulting in neuronal death.

[Effects of nerve growth factor on the development of the dendritic system of cholinergic neurons in dissociated culture of the rat septum]

Neurons dissociated from septal area of fetal (E18-19) rat brain were grown 14-days in culture. Cholinergic neurons were identified by cytochemical demonstration of acetyl cholinesterase. It was shown that the nerve growth factor added to the culture medium (50 u/ml) has increased the size of cell body of AchE-positive neurons, mean total length and arborization of dendrites and also the dendritic tree area.

[The effect of nerve growth factor on cholinergic neurons in dissociated cultures of the septum pellucidum]

Neurons dissociated from septal area of fetal (E 18-19) rat brain were grown for 7 days in culture. Cholinergic neurons were identified by cytochemical demonstration of acetyl cholinesterase. Addition of the nerve growth factor to the culture medium (200 u/ml) increases the number of AChE-positive neurons, the size of the cell body and activity of AChE in these neurons.