REPEATED EXPOSURE OF GLIAL-CELLS IN PRIMARY CULTURES TO AMITRIPTYLINE AND DIAZEPAM

Mixed glial cells in primary cultures were exposed to amitriptyline (AT) and diazepam (Dia). Morphological observations during 17-18 days of exposure, revealed that 10-mu-M and 100-mu-M were critical concentrations for AT and Dia, respectively. Exposure to concentrations above the critical concentrations led to culture death. Concentrations below 10-mu-M AT and 100-mu-M Dia stimulated the proliferation of glial cells. The microglia cells were stimulated to proliferate and individual cells to hypertrophy. On the other hand, in Dia-treated cultures, the development of microglia cells did not differ from that in control cultures. Both drugs stimulated the development of oligodendroglia cells (OG). With decreasing concentrations of the drugs, the number of OG increased and the enzymes 2'3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) and acid phosphatase (AcP), were elevated in inverse proportion to the concentration of drugs.