COMPARISON OF NEURITE OUTGROWTH WITH NEUROFILAMENT PROTEIN SUBUNIT LEVELS IN NEUROBLASTOMA-CELLS FOLLOWING MERCURIC OXIDE EXPOSURE

1. The objectives of the study were to establish that inhibition of ne uronal differentiation in culture (assessed by neurite outgrowth) can be used as a broad spectrum in vitro measure of neurotoxicity. 2. To e stablish whether a rapid measure of neurite outgrowth could be used. T hus the study examined the relationship between the degree of neurite outgrowth assessed directly by image analysis and neurofilament protei n subunit levels measured by an ELISA. 3. SKNSH neuroblastoma cells, e xposed for up to 6 days to mercuric chloride during initiation and con tinuation of differentiation, had lower levels of neurofilament protei ns than unexposed cells. 4. Preliminary data from parallel examination s of neurite outgrowth assessed by image analysis and neurofilament pr otein subunit levels assessed by ELISA support a correlation when neur ofilament protein levels are decreased by sub-cytotoxic doses of mercu ric chloride in SKNSH cells.