Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6019530 | Experimental Neurology | 2008 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
The ability to culture functional adult mammalian spinal cord neurons represents an important step in the understanding and treatment of a spectrum of neurological disorders including spinal cord injury. Previously, the limited functional recovery of these cells, as characterized by a diminished ability to initiate action potentials and to exhibit repetitive firing patterns, has arisen as a major impediment to their physiological relevance. In this report, we demonstrate that single temporal doses of the neurotransmitters serotonin, glutamate (N-acetyl-dl-glutamic acid) and acetylcholine-chloride lead to the full electrophysiological functional recovery of adult mammalian spinal cord neurons, when they are cultured under defined serum-free conditions. Approximately 60% of the neurons treated regained their electrophysiological signature, often firing single, double and, most importantly, multiple action potentials.
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Authors
Mainak Das, Neelima Bhargava, Abhijeet Bhalkikar, Jung Fong Kang, James J. Hickman,