Proliferation-dependent vulnerability of glucose-deprived astrocytes to nitric oxide-induced cytotoxicity.

The present study investigated the vulnerability of glucose-deprived astrocytes to nitric oxide (NO)-induced cytotoxicity. Primary murine cortical astrocyte cultures of different ages were deprived of glucose in the presence of the NO-releasing reagent 3-morpholinosydnonimine. Glucose-deprived astrocytes displayed an age-dependent vulnerability to NO cytotoxicity. However, this difference in vulnerability with age was found to be dependent on initial plating density. The augmented deaths of astrocyte cultures were consistent with the [3H]thymidine incorporation pattern. Thus, rapidly dividing astrocytes were much more susceptible to NO cytotoxicity under glucose-deprived conditions. The data indicate that the vulnerability of glucose-deprived astrocytes to NO cytotoxicity depends on the proliferative state rather than age in vitro.