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Regulation of c‐ fos Expression by Convulsants and Hexachlorocyclohexane Isomers in Primary Cultures of Cortical Neurons
Author(s) -
Barrón S.,
Serratosa J.,
Tusell J. M.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.1995.64041708.x
Subject(s) - hexachlorocyclohexane , convulsants , cortical neurons , chemistry , neuroscience , biology , anticonvulsant , pesticide , agronomy , epilepsy
Primary cortical cultures were used to study the effects of four convulsants on c‐ fos expression. Approximately 30% of the neurons in these cultures displayed c‐ fos nuclear immunostaining under basal conditions. The addition of tetrodotoxin, nifedipine, or δ‐hexachlorocyclohexane produced a significant decrease in c‐ fos basal values. Lindane (γ‐hexachlorocyclohexane), Bay K 8644, pentylenetetrazole, and picrotoxinin produced a significant increase in c‐ fos immunoreactivity and in c‐ fos mRNA expression. Treatment of cells with tetrodotoxin before administration of the convulsant agents lowered c‐ fos staining below basal levels. In contrast, δ‐hexachlorocyclohexane or nifedipine failed to block only the picrotoxinin‐induced increase. The differential pattern of expression shown by c‐ fos after these treatments suggests various mechanisms of action for the compounds studied. The results obtained with δ‐hexachlorocyclohexane and nifedipine suggest that picrotoxinin activates c‐ fos expression by calcium‐requiring intracellular signaling pathways that are different from those activated by Bay K 8644, pentylenetetrazole, or γ‐hexachlorocyclohexane, which, at least in part, act via L‐type calcium channels.