COMPARATIVE TOXICITY OF AMYLOID BETA-PEPTIDE IN NEUROBLASTOMA CELL-LINES - EFFECTS OF ALBUMIN AND PHYSALAEMIN

1. Synthetic amyloid beta-peptide was toxic to NB41A3 neuroblastoma ce lls in serum-free culture as judged by decreasing cell numbers and rel ease of the cytosolic enzyme, lactic dehydrogenase. 2. Without amyloid beta-peptide, bovine serum albumin increased the number of cells surv iving in culture. 3. In the presence of amyloid beta-peptide, BSA appe ared to potentiate the amyloid beta-peptide toxicity. 4. The toxic dos e response for amyloid beta-peptide varied between different cell line s (NB41A3, NB2a and IMR32), in a range of 100-1000 nM amyloid beta-pep tide. 5. Amyloid beta-peptide toxicity was inhibited by the concurrent treatment of the cells with the tachykinin physalaemin with an ED50 O f 10(-6) M.