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Organic and inogranic lead inhibit neurite growth in vertebrate and invertebrate neurons in culture

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Summary

Neurons from brains of chick embryos and pond snails (Lymnaea stagnalis) were cultured for 3 to 4 d in the presence of no toxins, inorganic lead (PbCl2), or organic lead (trielthyl lead chloride). In chick neurons, inorganic lead reduced the percentage of cells that grew neurites (IC50=270μM total lead, approximately 70 nM free Pb2+) but did not reduce the number of neurites per cell or the mean neurite length. Triethyl lead reduced the percentage of cells that grew neuites (IC50=0.24 μM) and the mean neurite length (extrapolated IC50=3.6 μM) but did not reduce the number of neurites per cell. InLymnaea neurons, inorganic lead reduced the percentage of cells that grew neurites (IC50=13 μM total lead; approximately 10 nM free Pb2+). Triethyl lead reduced the percentage of cells that grew neurites (IC50=0.4 μM) and exerted significant toxicity at 0.2 μM. The two forms of lead affected neurite growth in qualitatively different ways, which suggests that their mechansms of action are different.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, University of Colorado at Denver, 1200 Larimer Street, 80204, Denver, Colorado

    Gerald Audesirk, David Shugarts, Gina Nelson & Julie Przekwas

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  1. Gerald Audesirk
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  2. David Shugarts
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  3. Gina Nelson
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  4. Julie Przekwas
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These experiments were supported by grants from the Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, and the National Institutes of Environmental Health Science, Research Triangle Park, NC.

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Audesirk, G., Shugarts, D., Nelson, G. et al. Organic and inogranic lead inhibit neurite growth in vertebrate and invertebrate neurons in culture. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 25, 1121–1128 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02621263

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