Selective susceptibility of cultured striatal neurons to kainic acid

Previous work has shown a selective sensitivity of striatal D 2 ‐receptor‐containing neurons (D 2 cells) to kainic acid (KA). In order to see whether this phenomenon exists in cultured cells, which could provide a very accessible model for subsequent mechanistic studies, we examined striatal cultures grown for up to 30 days and labeled with either [ 3 H] spiperone, for D 2 ‐receptors, or with [ 3 H] ‐SCH23390, for D1 receptors. Analysis of the cells was performed with a digital imaging system (RAS). The cultured cells were examined for ligand binding to receptors, cell size, and susceptibility to KA. The D 2 ‐cells showed an increased mortality over D 1 ‐receptor‐containing neurons (D 1 cells) in the presence of KA, of a magnitude similar to in vivo loss, with larger D 2 ‐cells showing the greatest vulnerability.