Expression of the glucocorticoid receptor in early and late passage C-6 glioma cells and in normal astrocytes derived from aged mouse cerebral hemispheres

The presence of the glucocorticoid receptor in early and late passage C-6 g lioma cells 2B clone and in astrocytes derived from aged mouse cerebral hem ispheres has been documented by immunoblotting and/or immunofluorescence la belling. All cell types studied express the glucocorticoid receptor of mole cular weight 97 KDa. In addition, in astrocytes derived from aged mouse cer ebral hemispheres a smaller molecular weight polypeptide reacting with anti -glucocorticoid receptor antibody was also demonstrated. No difference in t he amount of the 97 KDa glucocorticoid receptor between early and late C-6 2B cells was observed, whereas the astrocytes from aged cerebral hemisphere s contained considerably reduced amounts of the glucocorticoid receptor com pared to C-6 2B cells. Late passage C-6 2B cells were immunofluorescence la belled with the anti-glucocorticoid antibody, the receptor being almost exc lusively present in the cytoplasm, with particular concentration in the per inuclear region. The presence of glucocorticoid receptor of molecular weigh t 97 KDa in glial cells corroborates and expands the existing data based on radioligand binding and immunocytochemical studies. These cell populations can be exploited as a model system for the study of the effects of glucoco rticoids on senescence and brain aging. (C) 2000 ISDN. Published by Elsevie r Science Ltd. All rights reserved.