[Effects of different buffers, ethanol and hydrogen peroxide on the morphology of cultured brain cells]

Effects of different buffers: N-2-Hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES), Ethanolamine (2-Aminoethanol), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) in the presence of 0.003% H2O2 or 0.5% ethanol were investigated on cell cultures from brain (chick embryo 5 1/2 or 9 day in ovo). Morphological parameters: density of cells, reaggregation, size of cell aggregates were used. H2O2 in the presence of NaHCO3 led to a decrease of isolated cells and an increase of reaggregation with degeneration in the great clusters. When H2O2 and 5 mM HEPES were present together in the absence of NaHCO3, the aggregation was less than with HEPES alone. By use of a chemical defined medium DME/F-12 supplemented with Insulin, Transferrin, sodium selenite, bovine serum albumin and 15 mM HEPES both the number and the diameter of cell aggregates increased. Addition of 0.5% ethanol in the presence of NaHCO3 stimulated in cultures of the ganglion trigeminale and telencephalon (9 day chick embryos) the regeneration of neurites and the proliferation and migration of non-neural cells. No growth of neurites was observed on the same condition in brain cultures from 6 day chick embryo. The number of large aggregates increased significantly in the presence of NaHCO3 and in the chemical defined and supplemented medium DME/F-12. Bologa et al. (1987) demonstrated that the buffers TREA (Triethanolamine) and HEPES enhance the expression of properties related to post-mitotic differentiated cellular states in both neurons and glia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)