Effects of nerve growth factor and acetyl-L-carnitine arginyl amide on the human neuronal line HCN-1A.

The HCN-1A clonal cell line, derived from the cortical tissue of a patient with unilateral megencephaly, was shown to differentiate into a mature neuronal-like state in the presence of the nerve growth factor, dibutyryl cyclic adenosine, 3',5'-monophosphate and either 1-isobutyl-3-methylxanthine or forskolin. Differentiation was assessed by measuring the percentage of cells that displayed branched, varicose processes that stained for synaptophysin. Treatment of cultures with a cocktail containing forskolin increased immunocytochemical staining for gamma aminobutyric (GABA), neurofilament protein and the nerve growth factor receptor species p75NGFR. Treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine alone had some effects on the cell morphology while acetyl-L-carnitine arginyl amide and nerve growth factor together increased the GABA content. Positive staining levels for the neurotransmitters gamma aminobutyric acid, glutamate, somatostatin, cholecystokinin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide were measured quantitatively for HCN-1A under basal conditions.