Background Chlorhexidine is a skin disinfectant that reduces skin and mucous membrane bacterial colonization and inhibits organism growth. Despite numerous studies assessing chlorhexidine safety in term infants, residual concerns have limited its use in hospitalized neonates, especially low birth weight preterm infants. The aim of this study was to assess the potential neurotoxicity of chlorhexidine on the developing central nervous system using a well-established in vitro model of neurite outgrowth that includes laminin and L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1) as neurite outgrowth promoting substrates. Methods Cerebellar granule neurons are plated on either poly L-lysine, L1 or laminin. Chlorhexidine, hexachlorophene or their excipients are added to the media. Neurons are grown for 24 h, then fixed and neurite length measured. Results Chlorhexidine significantly reduced the length of neurites grown on L1 but not laminin. Chlorhexidine concentrations as low as 125 ng/ml statistically significantly reduced neurite length on L1. Hexachlorophene did not affect neurite length. Conclusion Chlorhexidine at concentrations detected in the blood following topical applications in preterm infants specifically inhibited L1 mediated neurite outgrowth of cerebellar granule neurons. It is now vital to determine whether the blood brain barrier is permeable to chlorhexidine in preterm infants.
Background Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, the leading known cause of mental retardation, is caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy. One mechanism of ethanol teratogenicity is the disruption of the function of L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1). These functions include enhancement of neurite outgrowth, trafficking through lipid rafts, and signal transduction. Recent data have shown that choline supplementation of rat pups reduces the effects of ethanol on neurobehavior. We sought to determine if choline could prevent the effect of ethanol on L1 function using a simple experimental system. Methods Cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) from postnatal day 6 rat pups were cultured with and without supplemental choline, and the effects on L1 signaling, lipid raft distribution and neurite outgrowth were measured in the presence or absence of ethanol. Results Choline significantly reduced the effect of ethanol on L1 signaling, the distribution of L1 in lipid rafts and L1 mediated neurite outgrowth. However, choline supplemented ethanol exposed cultures remained significantly different than controls. Conclusions Choline pretreatment of CGN significantly reduces the disruption of L1 function by ethanol, but does not completely return L1 function to baseline. This experimental system will enable discovery of the mechanism of the neuroprotective effect of choline.
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