1. Trophic action of acetyl-L-carnitine in neuronal cultures.
- Author
-
Rampello L, Giammona G, Aleppo G, Favit A, and Fiore L
- Subjects
- Animals, Cells, Cultured, Cellular Senescence drug effects, Cerebellum cytology, Nerve Degeneration drug effects, Neurons metabolism, Rats, Acetylcarnitine pharmacology, Neurons drug effects
- Abstract
Daily addition of acetyl-L-carnitine (100 microM) to cultured cerebellar granule cells since the first day of maturation led to an increased rate of expression of D-[3H]aspartate uptake (an established marker of maturation of glutamatergic neurons) and of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors linked to large conductance ion channels permeable to Ca2+. Acetyl-L-carnitine treatment also increased neuronal survival, as reflected by a greater percentage of cultures retaining functional NMDA receptors after 15 days of maturation. These results support the view that acetyl-L-carnitine exerts neuronotrophic activity and prevents age-dependent neuronal degeneration.
- Published
- 1992