SELECTIVE IN-VITRO BLOCKADE OF NEUROEPITHELIAL CELLS PROLIFERATION BYMETHYLAZOXYMETHANOL, A MOLECULE CAPABLE OF INDUCING LONG-LASTING FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS

In order to characterize the antiproliferative effect of methylazoxyme thanol neuroepithelial cells derived from the rat striata primordia at embryonic day 14 have been exposed to graded doses of this compound. It was found that methylazoxymethanol application to striatal neurobla sts elicits a blockade of cell proliferation at a dose which does not interfere with cell survival, By using synchronized cells acid short t erm exposures to this compound, we found that the antiproliferative ef fect of methylazoxymethanol is strikingly correlated to the number of cells actively dividing in culture, thus indicating that the cells tar geted by methylazoxymethanol must be in an active mitotic phase, To te st for the selectivity of action of Methyl-azoxymethanol for dividing neuroblasts either cultures composed of mature proliferating astrocyte s or muscle cells have been subjected to the same treatment. It has be en observed that astrocytes proliferation was not affected by the dose of methylazoxymethanol shown to be effective on neuroepithelial cells , Finally we demonstrated that methylazoxymethanol is able only transi ently to interfere with smooth muscle cell division, further supportin g its selectivity of action within the developing CNS. (C) 1995 Wiley- Liss, Inc.