Neurobasal Medium Causes Neuronal Death Due to L-Cysteine
Author Information
Author(s): Hogins Joshua, Crawford Devon C., Zorumski Charles F., Mennerick Steven
Primary Institution: Washington University School of Medicine
Hypothesis
We hypothesized that L-cysteine likely mediates the excitotoxic effects of Neurobasal incubation.
Conclusion
L-cysteine in Neurobasal medium is responsible for NMDA receptor-dependent excitotoxicity in hippocampal neurons.
Supporting Evidence
- Neurobasal medium caused approximately 50% cell death in cultured neurons after 4 hours.
- D-2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate (D-APV) completely prevented Neurobasal toxicity.
- 260 µM L-cysteine in bicarbonate-buffered saline produced toxicity equivalent to Neurobasal.
Takeaway
Using a specific type of cell food called Neurobasal can hurt brain cells because it has too much of a chemical called L-cysteine, which can be harmful.
Methodology
The study involved incubating hippocampal neurons in Neurobasal medium and measuring cell death and NMDA receptor activity.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on one type of neuron and may not generalize to all neuronal types.
Participant Demographics
Postnatal day 0–3 male and female rat pups were used for neuron cultures.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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