Method for preparing cultures of central neurons: cytochemical and immunochemical studies.

Abstract

A simplified method for culturing fetal (rats, mice or hamsters) CNS cells predominantly inducing neurons that grow, differentiate and live in vitro for as long as 10 wk was reported. These CNS cells form a confluent cell culture in which about 80% of the cells are fully differentiated neurons producing interconnecting axons and dendrite processes and live upon a sparse underlying population of fibrillary and protoplasmic astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and fibroblasts. Morphological and cytochemical characteristics of these cell types based on immunofluorescent cell specific markers and Ag staining of neurons are presented.