Nerve Cell Death Induced by Ca2+ Ionophores in Dissociated Hippocampal Cultures

Lasalocid (X-537A) is a polyether ionophore compound (Westly et al., 1970) that was isolated from streptomyces lasaliensis in 1951 (Berger et al., 1951). It is a lipid-soluble material which facilitates the passage of divalent and monovalent ions through lipophilic-biological membranes (Westley, 1977; Reed, 1982; Aebi. 1989). Lasalocid is used as a broad-spectrum anticoccidial agent and has been approved for use as a coccidiostat for chickens, and as a growth promoter for cattle (Bergen et al., 1984). However, lasalocid residues in commercial food were found to cause a paralytic syndrome in dogs (Safran et al., 1993a) and overdose in poultry feed caused neuromuscular deficit in chickens (Perelman et al., 1986).