Early changes of surface morphology in monolayer cultures of neural retina cells. The effect of p-bromophenacyl bromide.

SUBURO A.M.; CEI DE JOB C

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROSCIENCE

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 1986 vol. 5 p. 285 - 292

0736-5748

Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the surface morphology of neural retina cells from fetal rats. Dissociated cells were plated on polyornithine and examined after 1.5-3.0 hr in vitro. A quantitative analysis of the proportion of cells with and without processes was made and the former were classified according to the length and number of their processes. Treatment with p-bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), a selective inhibitor of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), induced significant changes on the early surface activity of retinal cells. An inhibitory effect on cell process formation was observed in monolayers grown for 2 hr in the presence of BPB: process formation was also inhibited when high concentrations (10(-6) M or more) were applied as a 30 min pulse, whereas a similar pulse of a lower concentration (10(-7) M) stimulated the appearance of cells with short processes. These observations suggest that PLA2 or some other BPB-reactive substance is involved in the extension of neural cell processes.