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[P1.52]: IgCAMs redundantly control different aspects of axon guidance in C. elegans
Author(s) -
Schwarz V.,
Pan J.,
VoltmerIrsch S.,
Hutter H.
Publication year - 2008
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/j.ijdevneu.2008.09.102
Subject(s) - citation , library science , computer science , physics
There is limited information on neurotoxic effects of atrazine in developing nervous system. Atrazine, an extensively used chloros-triazine herbicide, has been identified as an endocrine disruptor in amphibians. Considering the importance of endocrine influence for normal brain development, in this study we examined the effects of atrazine on the development of Purkinje cells (PC) in vitro, by employing the Golgi method to study the morphological changes that occur during PC differentiation. Primary organotypic cultures of mouse cerebellar cortex were prepared from recently born Mus musculus mice (P0) and at postnatal days 3 (P3), P5, P7 and P9. Explanted cerebellar cortices from each age were divided into two groups: control and atrazine-exposed. A dosis of 15 mg atrazine/kg wet weight was added into the incubation medium every 48 h during the 6 day-period of incubation. Cultured tissues were harvested, fixed and stained using a modified Golgi method and then observed under Polyvar high resolution light microscopy. After 6 days of incubation, PC from control cultures obtained from mice at P0 until P9 showed a normal sequence of development in vitro. Immaturemorphological characteristics of PCwere observed in P0 cultures, such as cell bodies that are highly irregular in shape and the presence of numerous prolongations from their soma. Cultures obtained at P3 showed PCwith few cellular prolongations and cell body ofmore regular shape. At this stage, the emergence of PC primary dendrite and initial segment of the axon can already be observed. Cultures from P5 and P7 animals showed more developed axons and dendritic trees with secondary dendrite ramifications. In P9 cerebellar cultures, the PCs demonstrated phenotypic characteristics as in situ mature PCs. On the other hand, administration of atrazine during incubation not only delayed the development of PCs but also hindered the acquirement of mature phenotypic characteristics. Atrazine-exposed cultures from P0 until P3 showed highly immature PCs and it was not until P5 that the emergence of the primary dendrite and axon initial segment was observed. These results demonstrate the endocrinedisrupting effects of atrazine in the developing nervous system.