Extracellular potassium concentration regulates proliferation of immature cerebellar granule cells

The present study examines the effect of depolarizing potassium concentrations on the proliferation of immature rat cerebellar neurons. Cells inoculated in serum free medium and 5 mM KCl (5 K) showed a high degree of 3H-thymidine incorporation that decreased 24-48 h after plating as differentiation began. During the first 24 h after inoculation, cells grown in high potassium (25 K), showed a 34 +/- 3% increase (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 12) in 3H-thymidine incorporation as compared with the values observed in 5 K. After 24 h in vitro, cells grown in 25 K showed 23 +/- 3% (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 3) less DNA synthesis than those inoculated in 5 K. The increase in DNA synthesis due to 25 K was blocked by MgCl2 and nifedipine, but not by omega-conotoxin GVIA, suggesting that it is mediated by a Ca2+ influx via voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) of the L-subtype. High potassium-induced cell proliferation was blocked by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK1) inhibitor (PD98059, 75 microM). The number of neurons counted after 48 h in vitro in 25 K was 35-100% above of the number obtained with 5 K and this increase also was blocked by MgCl2 and nifedipine. These data support the hypothesis that depolarizing activity during neurogenesis plays a role in the modulation of cerebellar granule cells proliferation.