Neuronal survival and dynamics of ultrastructural damage after dendrotomy in low calcium

To determine the contributions of calcium to development of ultrastructural damage and neuronal death after mechanical injury, we amputated primary dendrites from over 300 cultured mammalian spinal neurons under normal (1.8 mM) or low (less than or equal to 30 microM) calcium conditions. Two general categories of early ultrastructural change were seen in both normal and low calcium: (1) a lesion-dependent gradient of damage that moved centripetally through the proximal segment and penetrated the soma within 15 min and (2) dilation of the somal Golgi/smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER), which preceded the wave of deterioration from the lesion. Although the somal Golgi/SER changes were similar in both normal and low calcium, the damage gradient in low calcium differed from the damage gradient in normal calcium. (1) Microtubules and neurofilaments were preserved, (2) mitochondria became more electron dense but did not develop electronlucent foci or high amplitude swelling, and (3) an extensive vesicular gradient formed consisting of rows of swollen SER vesicles. Sodium ionophores have been reported to cause similar changes. Survival studies showed that calcium reduction significantly delayed neuronal death. Survival was 63 +/- 16% vs 35 +/- 8% (p less than 0.003) at 2 h and 30 +/- 7% vs 23 +/- 8% at 6 h in low and normal calcium, respectively. Dead neurons that had been lesioned in low calcium also showed greater ultrastructural preservation than neurons that died after dendrotomy in normal calcium. We hypothesize that under low calcium conditions, the large sodium injury current plays an important role in neuronal deterioration and death after mechanical trauma.