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Relationship Between Intracellular Free Calcium Concentration and NMDA‐induced Cerebellar Granule Cell Survival In Vitro
Author(s) -
Pearson Heather,
Graham Margaret E.,
Burgoyne Robert D.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.1992.tb00162.x
Subject(s) - nmda receptor , in vitro , granule (geology) , granule cell , calcium , calcium in biology , cerebellum , intracellular , neuroscience , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biophysics , biology , biochemistry , central nervous system , receptor , paleontology , dentate gyrus , organic chemistry
The survival of cerebellar granule cells in culture is stimulated by activation of the N ‐methyl‐ d ‐aspartate (NMDA) class of glutamate receptors. Activation of these receptors at the key period for cell survival in vitro (3 days; 3DIV) resulted in a sustained elevation of intracellular free calcium concentration [Ca 2+ ] i over the same concentration range of NMDA that led to granule cell survival. Agents that release Ca 2+ from intracellular stores led to only small, transient elevations of [Ca 2+ ] i and were unable to stimulate granule cell survival. Addition of the Ca 2+ ionophore ionomycin to granule cell cultures at 3DIV resulted in increased granule cell number at 7DIV. The ability of ionomycin to stimulate granule cell survival was related to the [Ca 2+ ] i elicited, indicating that a rise in [Ca 2+ ] i is sufficient to activate the processes leading to granule cell survival and that the extent of the elevation in [Ca 2+ ] i is crucially important in determining granule cell fate.