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USE OF PRIMARY CULTURES AND CONTINUOUS CELL LINES TO STUDY EFFECTS ON ASTROCYTIC REGULATORY FUNCTIONS
Author(s) -
Walum Erik,
Eriksson Gun,
Peterson Anders,
Holme Elisabeth,
Larsson NilsGöran,
Eriksson Charlotta,
ElShamy Wael
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1995.tb01996.x
Subject(s) - primary (astronomy) , cell culture , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , medicine , biology , genetics , physics , astronomy
SUMMARY 1. Current opinions on the mechanisms for glutamate‐mediated neurotoxicity are reviewed. The protective role of astrocytic high‐affinity glutamate transport is also discussed. 2. Low‐density seeding of primary astrocytes from rat hemispheres was found to result in the development of reactive‐like astrocytes. Typical glial signs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could not be induced in astrocyte cultures by serum from ALS‐patients. 3. Glutamate (100 μmol/L) was found to induce an increase in respiratory activity in primary cultures of astrocytes. This stimulation appeared to be related to the co‐transport of Na 2+ with glutamate and a resulting activation of Na 2+ /K + ‐ATPase. Both basal respiration and glutamate‐stimulated oxygen consumption was inhibited by organic solvents. 4. Preliminary results show that heavy metals cause an increase in the mitochondrial DNA content at concentrations that have no effect on growth rate or morphology in a glial cell line. This increase was accompanied by an inhibition of oxygen consumption and an increased production of lactate at unaltered ATP levels.