Serum deprivation-induced apoptosis in cultured hippocampi is prevented bykainate

SERUM deprivation of hippocampal organotypic cultures induced cell death wi thin 6 h in dentate gyrus granule cells and hilar interneurons whereas neur ons from other hippocampal regions were spared. Dying neurons exhibited con densed chromatin in the nuclei, as revealed by cresyl violet, Hoescht stain ing, and electron microscopy. Cell death was abolished by cycloheximide. KA , an agonist of AMPA/KA receptors that induces depolarization, also prevent ed neuronal death. This effect was antagonized by the AMPA/KA receptor anta gonist DNQX, but not by APV, an antagonist of NMDA receptors. PTX, a GABA(A ) receptor antagonist, reduced neuronal death by 50% after serum withdrawal . These data indicate that protein synthesis-dependent programmed cell deat h (PCD) occurs in the dentate gyrus upon trophic support withdrawal and sug gest that neuronal activity contributes to cellular homeostasis. NeuroRepor t 9: 3949-3953 (C) 1998 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.