THE PRESENCE OF THE COMPLEMENT CASCADE DOES NOT LEAD TO NEURONAL CELL-DEATH IN PRIMARY HIPPOCAMPAL CULTURES

To investigate the consequences of complement activation on neuronal v iability, the effects of serum treatment on neuron-rich and mixed neur onal/glial cultures were evaluated. The neurotoxicity observed followi ng treatment with either human or rat serum was variable and did not a ppear to be mediated through a complement-mediated mechanism. Serum lo ts lacking CHS, activity induced neurotoxicity, and heat treatment of toxic lots of either human or rat sera did not abolish toxicity. in ca ses where serum treatment did not induce cell death, treatment with PI PLC to remove endogenous membrane-bound complement inhibitors prior to serum exposure, did not result in cell death.