α-Tocopherol supports the survival and neurite extension of neurons cultured from various regions of fetal rat brain

Abstract

The effects of α-tocopherol on neurons of fetal rat brain were studied in tissue culture. α-Tocopherol supported the survival and enhanced neurite extension of neurons cultured from cerebral cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and septum. The survival effect was observed at concentrations of 10 −9 to 10 −6 M. More than 60% of the cortical neurons could survive for 9 days at 10 −7 or 10 −6 M α-tocopherol, whereas almost all neurons died within 2 days in its absence. These results suggest that α-tocopherol may be involved in mechanisms regulating neuronal survival and neurite formation in the central nervous system, and indicate that α-tocopherol may be an excellent reagent to facilitate neuronal survival in culture.