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Neurite outgrowth‐regulating properties of GABA and the effect of serum on mouse spinal cord neurons in culture
Author(s) -
BIRD MARGARET,
OWEN ALUN
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-7580.1998.19340503.x
Subject(s) - neurite , muscimol , motility , spinal cord , gabaa receptor , agonist , gabab receptor , gabaergic , baclofen , aminobutyric acid , gamma aminobutyric acid , receptor , chemistry , biology , medicine , endocrinology , pharmacology , microbiology and biotechnology , neuroscience , in vitro , biochemistry
Time‐lapse photography was used to examine the effects of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) on the outgrowth and motility of neurites in cultures from mouse spinal cord. GABA at concentrations of 100, 10 and 1 μ m caused significant inhibition of neurite outgrowth and the motility of growth cones was significantly reduced by treatment with 100 and 10 μ m GABA. This effect was mimicked by the GABA B receptor agonist baclofen, whereas the GABA A receptor agonist muscimol had no effect. The effect of GABA on outgrowth and motility seems to be dependent on the type of serum employed. The results reported here were obtained only when heat‐inactivated serum was used and not when non heat‐inactivated serum was added to the culture medium. They suggest that GABA has a role in the regulation of process outgrowth within the embryonic mouse spinal cord.