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Effects of opiates on the growth of neuron‐enriched cultures from chick embryonic brain
Author(s) -
Sakellaridis Nikos,
Mangoura Dimitra,
Vernadakis Antonia
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(86)90066-3
Subject(s) - choline acetyltransferase , cholinergic neuron , neuron , cholinergic , embryo , biology , methadone , morphine , neuroscience , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , pharmacology
Neuron‐enriched cultures derived from 6‐day‐old chick embryo cerebral hemispheres were treated with morphine or methadone, 10 −5 M or 10 −6 M, on days 4–6 or 6–8 in culture and were evaluated morphologically and biochemically at day 9 using phase contrast microscopy and choline acetyltransferase activity (ChAT) as a cholinergic marker. The treatment of the cultures with morphine markedly affected their growth pattern; specifically, we observed an increased number of flat cells presumptively glia, and aggregates sided by flat cells and devoid of thick bundles of neuritic processes that normally characterize neuron‐enriched cultures. These morphologic changes were reflected in a drastic decrease of ChAT activity in cultures treated from day 4 to day 6 but not from 6 to 8. In contrast to morphine, exposure to 10 −6 M methadone from day 4 to day 6 resulted in reduced ChAT activity but the growth pattern of the cultures remained morphologically intact. We suggest that morphine exerts a general neurotoxic effect whereas methadone may affect some specific cholinergic function.