Neurotrophic action of leupeptin, a protease inhibitor on ventral spinal cord in culture.

Studies with organotypic culture of ventral spinal cord revealed that leupeptin, a protease inhibitor at 10(-4) to 10(-10) M exerts a marked growth-stimulating effect. The presence of leupeptin, the neuritic extension of ventral spinal cord exceeds control values 1.5-4.9 times. The growth zone of spinal cord explants increases in the leupeptin treated cultures. The possible mechanism of trophic effect of leupeptin on cultured ventral spinal cord was briefly discussed.