Figure 3.

The effects on cultured rat hippocampal cells of Aβ_1–42, ketones, or the combination. (A) The 6-day control cultures of 18-day embryonic rat hippocampal tissue; (B) after 14 h exposure to 5 μM Aβ_1–42, (C) after exposure to both Aβ_1–42 and 4 mM d-β-hydroxybutyrate, and (D) the effects of ketone bodies alone. Addition of Aβ_1–42 resulted in a decrease in neuronal number and number of neurites (B versus A). Addition of ketones to cells exposed to Aβ_1–42 showed no decrease in neuron or neurite number, indicating that ketones act as neuroprotective agents against the toxicity of Aβ_1–42 on cultured hippocampal neurons (C versus B).