FAS Abstracts 2004 Meeting Page

Biological Sciences (BIO D): BIO-35

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Survival of septal neurons after treatment with b-amyloid protein. K. LAVALLEE, V. GRIECO, P. ASSIS, A. J. SANCHEZ, B. R. GARCIA, and L. M. MUDD.  School of Natural and Health Sciences, Barry University, 11300 NE 2^nd Avenue, Miami Shores 33161. The senile plaques of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) contain a high concentration of b-amyloid (BA) protein which affects the neuronal population in the septal nucleus. Cells were treated with three doses of BA to ascertain which is most toxic and survival was quantified by florescence. To test this, astrocytes and neurons from embryonic day-16 rats were grown in serum-free media in a bilaminar culture. The cultures were treated on day in vitro (DIV) 1 and DIV 4 with 0.1uM BA, 1uM BA, and 10 uM BA.  On DIV 6, the live cells were visualized and quantified with florescine diacetate (FDA) and dead cells with propidium iodide (PI). Preliminary data showed survival of neuronal populations is most effected by 10uM BA, 51.6% versus 71.5% control, indicating a possible effect of 10uM BA.  Supported by NIH MBRS grant # 45455 and MBRS Rise # IR25 GM9244.