Expression of the capacity to release (/sup 3/H)norepinephrine by neural crest cultures

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · J. Neurosci.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5528216

Maxwell, G D; Sietz, P D

Cultures of trunk neural crest cells from quail embryos were tested for their ability to release (/sup 3/H)norepinephrine ((/sup 3/H)NE) in response to depolarization. After 7 days in vitro, exposure of the cultures to either the alkaloid veratridine or 40 mM K+ results in the evoked release of (/sup 3/H)NE. The release evoked by veratridine is blocked in the presence of tetrodotoxin. The release evoked by increased K+ is blocked by the calcium antagonist cobalt. Release in response to the nicotinic cholinergic agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazine was also observed. The amount of evoked release is highly correlated with the number of histochemically demonstrable catecholamine-containing cells in a given culture. Autoradiography reveals that the radioactivity taken up by these cultures is located in a subpopulation of cells whose morphology resembles that of the histochemically detectable catecholamine-containing cell population. Whereas capacity for the release of (/sup 3/H) NE is readily detectable after 7 days in vitro, it is detectable only with difficulty after 4 days in vitro. There is a greater than 6-fold increase in uptake capacity over the period of 4 to 7 days in vitro. These results demonstrate that neural crest cultures grown without their normal synaptic inputs or targets can exhibit the capacity for stimulus secretion coupling characteristic of synaptic neurotransmitter release.

• Research Organization: Department of Anatomy, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington
• OSTI ID: 5528216
• Journal Information: J. Neurosci.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Neurosci.; (United States) Vol. 3:9; ISSN JNRSD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ADRENAL HORMONES
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BIRDS
CARDIOTONICS
CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS
CELL CULTURES
COBALT
DRUGS
ELEMENTS
EMBRYOS
HORMONES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
METALS
NERVE CELLS
NEUROREGULATORS
NORADRENALINE
ONTOGENESIS
PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS
SOMATIC CELLS
STEROID HORMONES
SYMPATHOMIMETICS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES