LICL PROMOTES SURVIVAL OF GABAERGIC NEURONS FROM CEREBELLUM AND CEREBRAL-CORTEX - LICL INDUCES SURVIVAL OF GABAERGIC NEURONS

Previous studies showed that LiCl promotes short-term survival of PC12 cells after NGF or serum deprivation. In the present work, we investi gate the survival effect of lithium on cerebellar granule primary cult ures. While the total population of cerebellar neurons, mainly granule cells, showed only a short-term survival (about 20 h) in the presence of LiCl, the survival of 65-100% of the GABAergic interneurons origin ating from cerebellum and cerebral cortex at two different development al stages was prolonged by 1-2 weeks. Optimal activity was elicited be tween 5 and 7 mM LiCl. The action of lithium required the presence of serum and persisted also after medium renewal. By direct visual inspec tion, LiCl promoted neuronal survival without apparently altering the morphological differentiation of the cells. Our studies thereby sugges t a means to obtaining enriched populations of GABAergic neurons.