Abstract |
We have established a new line of immortalized rat astrocytes through transfection of plasmid pSV3-neo encoding the large T antigen of simian virus 40 into normal astrocytes. One of these immortalized astrocytes (ACT-57) with a flat and polygonal cell shape, exhibited stable growth in a chemically defined medium (modified N-2 medium) as well as in medium containing ordinary serum. ACT-57, retained a detectable level of expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and its mRNA, and exhibited a stronger expression of nerve growth factor ( NGF) mRNA than that of normal rat astrocytes or C6 glioma cells. NGF mRNA was significantly up-regulated by phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, TPA) and gamma-amino-n- butyric acid ( GABA) but not by hydrocortisone. None of stimulants (TPA, dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP), hydrocortisone, L-glutamate, carbacol, GABA, dopamine, or isoproterenol) changed the expression level of either brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF) or neurotrophin-3 (NT-3). There was a discrete difference between ACT-57 and normal astrocytes in the response to GABA and isoproterenol. These findings imply that normal cortical astrocytes possess a functional heterogeneity whereas the clonal astrocyte, ACT-57, does not, indicating that ACT-57 cells may be useful for in vitro studies of neuron-astrocyte interactions involving the induction of neurotrophic factors such as NGF.
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Authors | M Morikawa, K Asai, M Kokubo, K Fujita, K Yoneda, N Yamamoto, Y Inoue, J Iida, T Kishimoto, T Kato |
Journal | Neuroscience research
(Neurosci Res)
Vol. 39
Issue 2
Pg. 205-12
(Feb 2001)
ISSN: 0168-0102 [Print] Ireland |
PMID | 11223466
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
- Neurotrophin 3
- RNA, Messenger
- Nerve Growth Factor
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Topics |
- Animals
- Astrocytes
(cytology, metabolism)
- Brain
(cytology, metabolism)
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
(genetics)
- Cell Culture Techniques
(methods)
- Cells, Cultured
- Embryo, Mammalian
- Karyotyping
- Nerve Growth Factor
(genetics)
- Neurotrophin 3
(genetics)
- RNA, Messenger
(genetics)
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Transcription, Genetic
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