Psychosine cytotoxicity toward rat C6 glioma cells and the protective effects of phorbol ester and dimethylsulfoxide: implications for therapy in Krabbe disease.

Psychosine cytotoxicity was tested as to its effects on rat C6 glioma cells. At a low concentration--below 40 microM--psychosine appeared to stimulate cell proliferation. Above the concentration range of 40 microM-60 microM, however, it showed a cytotoxic effect. When phorbol ester (PDB) or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was supplemented to cultures being exposed to psychosine, the total number of live cells, protein content and CNPase activity dramatically increased as compared with the levels in cultures treated with psychosine alone. The results of these basic studies suggest another approach as to therapy for globoid cell leukodystrophy.