A human relevant mixture of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) enhance nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells.

Disruption of neurite outgrowth is a marker for neurotoxicity. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are potential developmental neurotoxicants. We investigated their effect on neurite outgrowth in PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells, in absence or presence of nerve growth factor (NGF), an inducer of neuronal differentiation.

Differential effects of some novel synthetic oestrogen analogs on oxidative PC12 cell death caused by serum deprivation.

Oestrogens with no or reduced oestrogen receptor (ER) binding properties are reported to have neuroprotective functions. However, we have previously shown that the hormonally inactive isomer of 17β-estradiol (17β-E), 17α-estradiol (17α-E), down-regulates glutathione (GSH) synthesis, and fails to rescue serum deprivation-induced cell death in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 in micromolar concentration. The present study examined cellular protective effects of new 17β-E analogs and 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) analogs with no or little oestrogen activity.