BACKGROUND: Exposure to @entity1068 ( @entity167 ) can be deleterious to the developing central nervous system. The mechanisms by which @entity167 exposure induces neural pathology in utero remain unclear. However, @entity167 -induced increases in @entity7131 ( @entity7131 ) have been associated with apoptosis in @entity1 primary cell cultures. Although the toxic effects of @entity167 on differentiated neural cells have been studied in laboratory animal models, the susceptibility of the @entity1 neural stem cells (NSCs) that predominate in the central nervous system during embryonic development has not been addressed. METHODS: For this study, fetal @entity1 brain cells, which satisfied the criteria for NSCs by being CD133-positive, nestin-positive, and differentiated glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive @entity1 astrocytes, were studied. The cytotoxic potential of @entity167 in NSC and astrocyte cultures was studied by using morphological and biochemical methods. In addition, membrane and cytosolic fraction @entity7131 activity for each cell type was assessed. RESULTS: NSC showed a dose-dependent increase in @entity167 -induced @entity137 as estimated by terminal transferase-mediated @entity1977 nick end labeling (TUNEL) stain and viability assays. TUNEL staining indicating DNA degradation consistent with programmed (apoptotic) cell death was detectable in 90% of NSC 16 hr after 2 hr exposure to 10 mM @entity167 . NSC also showed a concentration-dependent increase in membrane, but not cytosol, @entity7131 activity over the same @entity167 dose range. By contrast, astrocytes showed no cytotoxic effects at any concentrations of @entity167 used (0-10 mM). @entity7131 activity of both the membrane and cytosolic fragments from astrocytes also was unaffected by this range of doses. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the susceptibility of @entity1 NSCs, compared with astrocytes, to @entity167 and indicates that alterations in @entity7131 signal transduction in NSC may play a role in @entity167 -induced neuropathological processes.

@entity1 neural stem cells are more sensitive than astrocytes to XXXX exposure.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['human'] @entity137 :: ('MESH:D064420', 'Disease') :: ['toxicity'] @entity167 :: ('CHEBI:16236', 'Chemical') :: ['EtOH'] @entity1977 :: ('CHEBI:17625', 'Chemical') :: ['dUTP'] @entity7131 :: ('MESH:D020151', 'Disease') :: ['protein kinase C', 'PKC'] @entity1068 :: ('MESH:D000431', 'Chemical') :: ['ethanol']
@entity1068 :: (MESH:D000431,Chemical) :: ['ethanol']
