Respiration in rat cerebral astrocytes from primary culture

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Abstract
Respiration was measured polarographically in astrocytes from dissociated neonatal rat cerebra grown in primary culture. Cells grown in a modified Eagle's minimal essential medium containing 20% fetal calf serum for 14 to 21 days respired at a rate of 34.23 n at. equiv 0 mg protein−1 min−1. Cells which were grown in this medium for 14 days and then grown in serum‐free medium containing 0.25 mM dibutyrylcyclic‐AMP (dbcAMP) for three to six days, had respiratory rates 20% higher than in cells from untreated control cultures (P = 0.005). Maximal inhibition by oligomycin required 200 p mole per mg protein for dbcAMP‐treated cells and 80 pmole per mg protein for untreated cells. Oligomycin inhibited the respiration of both dbcAMP‐treated and untreated cells by about 70%. At a concentration of 175 nmole per mg protein, 2,4‐dinitrophenol (DNP) produced a maximal stimulation of respiration, which was 191% of the resting rate in dbc AMP‐treated cells and 218% of the resting rate in untreated cells. The maximal DNP‐stimulated respiratory rates were the same in dbcAMP‐treated and untreated cells.