Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
9
pubmed:dateCreated
2000-6-2
pubmed:abstractText
Neurotransmitters can have both toxic and trophic functions in addition to their role in neural signaling. Surprisingly, chronic blockade of GABA(A) receptor activity for 5-8 d in vitro enhanced survival of hippocampal neurons, suggesting that GABA(A) receptor overactivation may be neurotoxic. Potentiating GABA(A) receptor activity by chronic treatment with the endogenous neurosteroid (3alpha,5alpha)-3-hydroxypregnan-20-one caused massive cell loss over 1 week in culture. Other potentiators of GABA(A) receptors, including benzodiazepines, mimicked the cell loss, suggesting that potentiating endogenous GABA activity is sufficient to produce neuronal death. Neurosteroid-treated neurons had lower resting intracellular calcium levels than control cells and produced smaller calcium rises in response to depolarizing challenges. Manipulating intracellular calcium levels with chronic elevated extracellular potassium or with the calcium channel agonist Bay K 8644 protected neurons. The results may have implications for the mechanisms of programmed cell death in the developing CNS as well as implications for the long-term consequences of chronic GABAmimetic drug use during development.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
1529-2401
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:day
1
pubmed:volume
20
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
3147-56
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2000
pubmed:articleTitle
Slow death of postnatal hippocampal neurons by GABA(A) receptor overactivation.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't