Abstract
Primary astroglial cell cultures from neonatal rat cerebral cortex revealed morphological changes when incubated in HgCl2 at various concentrations. After incubation for 30 minutes with 5 x 10-6 HgCl2, most cells changed their form from a flat to a more rounded shape and extended processes. After longer incubations (>60 minutes) or at higher concentrations (≥10-5M), vacuoles appeared in many cells. [3H]-Thymidine incorporation into DNA was slightly increased after acute incubation in 10-9M HgCl2, while decreases were obtained after incubation in the μM range. The results are important due to the functions of astroglia during development and in the mature nervous system.
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