Enhancement by estrogen treatment of -bungarotoxin binding in fetal mouse amygdala cells reaggregated in vitro

Dissociated amygdala cells from 17-day-old mouse fetuses were cultivated in a flask for 7 days to form aggregates. In the aggregates there developed typical synaptic structures and [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin binding capacity. An addition of estradiol (100 ng/ml) in the culture medium caused a significant increase in the toxin binding capacity. From these results it is concluded that estradiol enhances alpha-bungarotoxin binding capacity in the amygdala by exerting direct effects on the developing amygdala cells.