α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate and kainate differently affect neuronal cytoarchitecture of rat cerebellar granule cells

Rat cerebellar granule cells cultured in media containing 12 mM KC1 showed short life-span, did not branch, and died after 10 days in vitro. The cell exposure to N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) or to kainate promoted both neuron survival and branching, reproducing the viability and the neurite extension routinely observed in cultures maintained in media containing 25 mM KC1. Exposure of neurons to α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) resulted in an increased survival not associated with neuritic arborization. These results suggest that the glutamate ionotropic receptor subtypes differently contribute in elaborating neuronal morphogenesis.