NMDA receptors contribute to the survival promoting effect of high potassium in cultured cerebellar granule cells

The present report further analyzes the survival promoting effect of high potassium, a condition that mimics neural activity in cultured cerebellar granule cells, an excellent model to study trophic mechanisms induced by depolarization and trophic factors. We found that the survival promoting effect measured at 7 days in vitro (DIV 7) of depolarizing potassium concentrations (25 mM KCl), added at DIV2, is partially prevented by adding at DIV 2 the non-competitive NMDA blocker MK801 (10 μM). The concentration of MK801 used blocks completely the survival promoting effect of a supramaximal effective concentration of NMDA (100 μM). The addition at DIV 2 of anti-brain derived neurotrophic factor (anti-BDNF) antibody, failed to modify the effect of high potassium. The present report provides evidences that in cultured cerebellar granule cells, high potassium-induced survival promoting effect is due in part by the activation of NMDA receptors. The effect does not require the presence of BDNF.