This work was funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Canada grant to MGM. JR is a NSERC-Vanier student fellow.

注意:下面的每个步骤应在无菌条件下在层流罩的要求用于哺乳动物细胞培养物中进行的。此外，为了获得最佳无菌细胞培养的一般准则适用， 例如 ，丢弃提示的任何时间，他们可能会导致交叉污染，减少了时间单元的数量进行时，整个媒体的变化，妥善而是轻轻搅拌所有人都暴露在空气中细胞悬浮液，以确保其均匀移液等。此外，插入件是一种塑料制品的需要特殊处理。首先，当插入被操纵，避免接触脆弱的膜，这泪水易被，因此可能会危及实验。此外，它是不适合于执行所述细胞培养基的真空抽吸，因为有穿孔的膜或离解的贴壁细胞的危险。接着，插入件中的多孔组织培养板松散挂的，因此，必须谨慎时莫采用咏的塑料制品或移液时，为了避免解离贴壁细胞。此外，使用具有大孔径大小的插入时，存在的细胞培养基渗透通过该膜，因此，频繁地监测液位是很重要的一个可能性。最后，请注意以下方案被设计用于贴壁细胞，并且需要较小的修改，以适合于悬浮细胞。 1.在进行插入共培养实验的一般准则<ol><li>在插入种子细胞类型＃1 <ol><li>解开从包装插入件。 </li><li>放置插入件以适当的尺寸的空多孔的组织培养板。这样做，把手用镊子刀片的最上边缘。 </li><li>为了提高附着和粘附细胞的扩散，向播种之前调节与细胞培养基中插入。为此，覆盖膜的细胞培养mediu整个表面中号使用微量。 注:按要求执行此操作尽可能多的插入。 </li><li>上盘更换盖子，在相同条件下孵育至少1小时或O / N（通常在37℃，5％-10％ 的 CO 2）。 </li><li>当刀片调节，除去所有使用微量的细胞培养基。丢弃使用过网上平台。 </li><li>作为在多孔板中相同的方式新鲜细胞培养基的种子细胞类型＃1。这样做，绘制用微量的细胞悬浮液的适当体积和分配在插入液体。 注:根据需要准备尽可能多的插入。 </li><li>播种所有插入后，轻轻摇动左右的板，然后来回，以均匀分布的细胞。避免使打圈，因为这会导致细胞中的插入物的中心积聚。 </li><li>放置在平板上的盖以及由按蜂窝要求（通常为37℃，5-10％的CO指定孵育<suB&gt; 2）。 </li></ol></li><li>种子细胞类型中排名第2多孔组织培养板<ol><li>根据第1节中的新鲜细胞培养基的种子细胞类型＃2。 </li><li>根据需要对刀片的数目准备许多井。摇动平板在步骤1.1.7），以确保将细胞均匀地分布在孔中。 </li><li>放置在板盖和在相同条件下孵育（通常在37℃，5％-10％ 的 CO 2）。 </li></ol></li><li>在插入清爽中<ol><li>用微量，除去部分或全部的细胞培养基，在含细胞类型＃1的插入。丢弃使用过网上平台。 </li><li>绘制新鲜细胞培养基的适当体积。轻轻靠在插入件的内壁的前端，慢慢地分配所述细胞培养基。 </li><li>放置在板盖和孵化按照步骤1.1.4。 </li></ol></li><li>在多孔组织培养皿中令人耳目一新<ol><li>使用micropi佩特，除去部分或全部的含细胞类型＃2的孔中的细胞培养基。丢弃使用过网上平台。 </li><li>绘制新鲜细胞培养基的适当体积。搁置在井的内壁的前端，慢慢地分配所述细胞培养基。 </li><li>放置在平板上的盖子，并根据先前建立的细胞培养物中的协议孵育。 </li></ol></li><li>将含有细胞类型＃1至含细胞类型＃2多孔组织培养板中的插入。 注意:当两种类型的细胞已经达到合适的成长阶段执行此步骤。 <ol><li>之前的插入物转移入井中，进行必要的媒体的变化，如先前在步骤1.3）和1.4中所述）。 注意:在这一点上，它由插入件制造商的说明指定以分配媒体的适当体积中两个隔室是重要的。 </li><li>使用镊子，把手含细胞t时刀片的最上边缘YPE＃1，轻轻将其放置在适当的孔含有细胞类型＃2。 </li><li>转移所有插入后，检查气泡的存在插入的膜下。 注:气泡防止横跨所述嵌件的膜的任何交换，并且可以危及整个实验。 </li><li>如果存在气泡，轻轻地从井用镊子提起插入物和沉浸放回细胞培养基。气泡会消失。他们是否仍然存在，尝试轻轻一角度浸渍插入放回细胞培养基。 注意:不要敲打或搅拌刀片，以避免解离贴壁细胞。 </li><li>除去所有的气泡和检查的介质在这两个隔室的体积，放置在平板上的盖子和孵化后。 </li></ol></li><li>在共培养体系清爽媒体 注:虽然膜容易使刀片之间的媒体交流和幸福，刷新介质中进行由于通过扩散独自以达到在上部和下部隔室的平衡所需要的时间两个室可以是相当长的。 <ol><li>在含有细胞类型＃1的插入清凉介质以相同的方式完成，如步骤1.3）。 </li><li>刷新在含细胞类型＃2孔介质，插入物轻轻推向一侧创造足够宽，以容纳一个枪头的空间。刷新介质如在步骤1.4）。 </li><li>检查气泡的存在和通过1.5.5验证卷按步骤1.5.3））。 </li></ol></li></ol> 2.实施例:测量由对神经元PC12细胞LPS活化的N9小胶质细胞分泌的细胞因子的影响注:以下步骤是专为特定瓶，好，菜的大小。然而，该协议可以定制任何塑料制品尺寸。对于媒体和组成见材料表。 <ol><li>播种和多分化PC12细胞孔组织培养板<ol><li>暖常规PC12细胞培养基，PC12分化培养基和胰蛋白酶-EDTA在37℃水浴中。 </li><li>使用PC12细胞在60-80％汇合从一个75cm 2的烧瓶中。 </li><li>带有15mm巴斯德吸管，执行烧瓶整个细胞培养液中的负压吸引。 </li><li>轻轻漂洗单层细胞用5毫升的无菌磷酸盐缓冲盐水中，用巴斯德吸管除去液体。要小心，不要在此步骤中分离细胞。 </li><li>覆盖用3ml胰蛋白酶-EDTA的细胞单层，并在37°C孵育2-3分钟。 </li><li>确保所有的细胞在显微镜下分离。如果很少细胞浮动，孵育时间最长为5分钟的较​​长的时间。 </li><li>加入10 mL常规的PC12细胞培养基以灭活胰蛋白酶-EDTA。 </li><li>用10毫升吸管，同时确保大多数细胞从底部离解Ò轻轻磨碎F中的烧瓶中。避免在细胞悬浮液中产生气泡。 </li><li>用同样的10毫升吸管，在50ml离心管中转移细胞悬浮液。 </li><li>离心1分钟3,200 XG </li><li>用巴氏吸管弃去上清液同时小心不要打扰颗粒。 </li><li>加入10 mL常规PC12细胞培养基用10毫升吸管。 注:如果颗粒异常大或小本音量可调节。 </li><li>用同样的10毫升吸管磨碎以均质沉淀。 PC12细胞常聚集在一起，所以至少20吹打向上和downare必要的。 注意:当剧烈研制过程是必要的，避免在细胞悬浮液中产生气泡。 </li><li>在1.5ml管中，准备在台盼蓝的细胞悬浮液的适当稀释。算使用根据先前建立的协议74血球细胞。 </li><li>在一个单独的50ml管中，分裂细胞悬浮液与PC12分化培养基以得到稀释的细胞悬浮液适合于从24孔板接种孔（30,000¢/厘米2，0.6毫升，每根据制造商的协议以及）。 注:24孔板，必须预先涂有胶原蛋白通过预先建立的方案75指定。 </li><li>每孔使用微量分发0.6毫升细胞悬浮液。 </li><li>当所有的井去籽，摇动平板在步骤1.1.7）。 </li><li>以允许PC12细胞的正常分化，在37℃下在对PC12分化培养基15,16在5％CO 2湿润气氛中进行共培养实验之前孵育24孔板为7-9天。 </li><li>通过除去液体的一半，并用等体积的新鲜的PC12分化培养基替换它执行介质改变每隔一天。 </li></ol></li><li>在插入播种N9小胶质细胞和用LPS治疗<ol><li>在进行共培养实验的前一天，预先处理的PTFE0.4μm的孔隙刀片与常规的N9细胞培养基，以优化细胞粘附，以下步骤1.1.1）通过1.1.4） </li><li>暖常规N9细胞培养基和胰蛋白酶-EDTA在37℃水浴中。 </li><li>与此同时，重约10毫克的LPS在1.5ml管供以后使用。 注意:由于LPS是一种强效的促炎内毒素，并且需要特别的安全防范措施，眼镜，手套和粒状呼吸器强烈建议。 </li><li>使用N9细胞在80-90％汇合时从一个75cm 2的烧瓶中。 </li><li>按照步骤2.1.3）至2.1.14）。始终使用常规N9细胞培养液中，而不是常规的PC12细胞培养液中。还注意到，N9小胶质细胞不聚集在一起多达PC12细胞做的，所以较少的移液上下可以是在步骤2.1.13必要）。 </li><li>在一个单独的50ml管中，分割用N9细胞培养基邻的细胞悬浮液btain适当播种设计24孔板容纳刀片（60,000¢/厘米2，0.05根据制造商的协议毫升每插入，用于膜表面积见生产商信息）的稀释细胞悬液。 注意:这些插入物已涂覆有由生产胶原蛋白和细胞粘附进行了优化。 </li><li>分发0.05毫升使用微量每个刀片的细胞悬浮液。 </li><li>当所有的刀片是种子，岩盘如步骤1.1.7）。 </li><li>执行使用N9处理介质，以获得4微克/毫升，2微克/毫升和1微克/毫升工作溶液的LPS的连续稀释液。 </li><li>吸管0.05毫升4微克/毫升的工作在一集合插入以得到的2微克/毫升的最终的稀释溶液。 </li><li>重复步骤2.2.10），用于在不同组的插入另外两个工作溶液，得到1微克的最终稀释度/ ml和0.5微克/分别毫升</li><li>在cubate含24小时的插入所述板在37℃在一个5％CO 2的潮湿气氛允许N9小胶质细胞活化用LPS进行共培养实验之前。 </li></ol></li><li>联合培养的神经元PC12细胞与小胶质N9 <ol><li>在分化的PC12细胞的7-9天，激活后在37℃水浴中通过温暖的N9处理介质和PC12处理介质的LPS孵育的24小时的N9小胶质细胞。 </li><li>执行为N9小胶质细胞共介质变化如在步骤1.3），通过0.1毫升N9处理介质的更换整个用过的介质。为此，每insert.This必须除去内毒素的所有痕迹，只留下激活N9小胶质细胞中的插入件。 </li><li>执行对神经元PC12细胞如​​在步骤1.4，总介质变化）。在一个5％CO 2的潮湿气氛转移镶入24孔板如在步骤1.5）.Incubate的N9-PC12共培养24小时或48小时，在37℃。 </li><li> 24后小时或48小时，收获上清液和/或细胞毒性，酶联免疫测定法中的细胞（ELISA），Western印迹，或其它测定。 </li></ol></li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

任何插入共培养体系实验的最关键的一步其实住在选择合适的插入使用。孔径和膜材料必须考虑到彻底帐户，没有忘记考虑将被接种的细胞的类型和实验的目的。例如，趋化性测定法可使用相同类型的膜的比细胞共培养以分析由在不存在细胞 - 细胞接触的分泌的可溶性因子诱导的细胞行为调制。然而，这两种类型的实验需要不同的孔径大小:较大的为前，允许细胞迁移，以及较小的为后者，以排除...

组织，器官或系统的体外研究是为了简化构成多细胞生物的几个细胞亚型之间存在的非常复杂的关系的一种尝试。实际上， 在体外研究使得能够获得单细胞群的一个详细的了解。有体外实验进行两个主要的优点:1）降低细胞相互作用，以及2）容易地操纵细胞环境的能力。因此，这两个优点已使科学家能够预测在体内的特定细胞类型的行为，导致以调节在整个生物体外在影响结果的能力。在这个意义上， 体外细胞培养往往可以作为连接基础和应用生命科学的桥梁。尽管如此，也有在体外工作的若干缺点，其中最重要的一种被某一个预留可以住在生理人观察到的表型的相关性。事实上，当一个单一细胞类型生长容器中，该培养失去，在不同程度，与其他类型的细胞，其以从组织和原籍有机体，和内锚体液环境贡献其细胞 - 细胞连接这使得它的组织坚持一个特定的三维结构有时细胞功能的关键。 细胞间关系的问题已被混合培养技术的发展解决。在该方法中，两个或更多个细胞群体在同一培养容器生长在一起。然而，这些混合文化具有重要的不便。一方面，一些细胞亚型物理上不与起源组织彼此互动，仅仅依靠通过分泌可溶性因子及受体附近持续旁分泌通信。这对于依赖于近端细胞因子信号若干炎症过程的情况。在混合Cultures，物理相互作用是不可避免的，使得不可能研究在不存在的细胞 - 细胞接触，可以产生改变的结果的旁分泌的通信。另一方面，从混合群体内实现细胞特异性的解释变得不使用苛刻的分离技术，可以显著影响的结果是不可行的。 为了解决这些重要问题，使用条件培养基的已发展为允许条块文化和旁分泌信号传导的研究的技术。这种方法需要一种细胞类型，因此命名条件培养基的上清液转移到含有细胞的另一群井。然而，一个重要的缺点是短命的分子不存活足够长的条件培养基被转移到细胞的第二群体的孔中。即使是长寿命的分子会大大摊薄随着时间的推移，由于扩散。此外，这两种细胞居民只能参加单向旁分泌通信，而不是主动的双向通信。这导致了不存在，因为它们在体内存在即在重新准确多关系的重要的反馈信令。 作为结果和由需要更好地模拟在 体外细胞环境体内条件的原始驱动，在细胞培养技术若干进步已多年来实现。其中最显著进步已利用与微孔膜为compartmentalizing细胞培养物，用于第一时间由Grobstein可渗透支撑于1953年1，这种可渗透的载体已多年来定制，以适应众多细胞类型，也可以使用在几个不同的应用程序。如今，这些支撑存在，旨在从多孔组织培养板或断路器操作过井休息空心插入LAR菜肴。在共培养系统中，插入包含一种细胞类型，而孔或培养皿包含其他细胞群体，从而来研究它们的体液环境（ 图1）的细胞的两个不同群体的贡献。其结果是，细胞极性（基底VS心尖分泌或信号接收）被保留，从而赋予插入共培养系统在混合培养物和条件培养基中的技术的一个重要优点。几种类型的膜材料都是可用的，最常见的是聚酯（PET），聚碳酸酯（PC）或胶原包被的聚四氟乙烯（PTFE），以及它们在不同的孔尺寸为0.4微米至12.0微米的存在。这些品种的材料和孔径提供刀片施加相关的光学特性，膜厚度和细胞粘附，使它们在不同的水平以下实用可变特征的频谱用途不限于: -studying细胞分化，胚胎发育，肿瘤的转移和通过渗透膜趋化性测定法创伤修复; 通过上皮或内皮单层评估其运输-evaluating药物渗透上可渗透支撑培养，; -performing细胞共培养以分析由在不存在细胞 - 细胞接触的分泌的可溶性因子诱导的细胞行为调制。 本文的目的是描述一般方法准则以满足上述第三功能，即评估通过使用插入共培养体系中没有细胞 - 细胞接触的分泌的可溶性因子介导的细胞的变化。的研究几种不同的领域作出为了回答相关的分泌的可溶性因子对细胞群的影响的问题使用刀片共培养系统。的确，在各级调制细胞行为旁分泌信号是在所有的组织中的相关和系统，这使得插入物共培养系统不可或缺，以确保在这些领域的进步。相反，利用插入物可以确认的信号转导是由直接细胞 - 细胞接触，而不是由分泌的因子。一插入物的最重要的用途是在炎症研究2-14，其中分泌的细胞因子的作用在免疫的各种细胞的玩家进行评价。特别是，炎症在中枢神经系统（CNS）的研究已经大大从插入共培养研究中，这些都使更好地限定在驱动神经炎症15-21神经元和小胶质细胞的不同旁分泌作用中获益。这些系统也被设计来研究依赖于它们，以减少或抑制促炎因子22-26的分泌能力的分子的抗炎潜力。关于癌症27-31，特别机制底层的血管生成32-34和inflammati研究在肿瘤35-42，也插入共培养体系中受益。此外，可溶性因素的推动分化和一些研究使用刀片来回答在特定领域的问题43-50过程最重要的。在中枢神经系统，看到神经组织具有非常有限的更新能力，神经营养的研究和神经保护是根本，目前已广泛用在共同培养系统51-56利用干细胞的保证。此外，刀片也被用来作为不同领域的肾脏57,58，内皮细胞的相互作用和血管生成59-62，细胞凋亡信号63-65，炎症肥胖和代谢综合征22,23,66-67，内耳毛细胞有保护作用68,69，甚至致病真菌和70,71 72,73寄生虫。 本文以建立一个experim提供了常用方法指南耳鼻喉科鉴于评估通过插入共培养体系分泌的可溶性因子介导的细胞的变化。特别是，我们将我们的注意力集中于神经细胞共培养他们学神经炎过程中的用途。鉴于实验十分广阔频谱接入成为可能试点，令人难以忍受来弥补这一细胞培养技术的各个方面。作为一个例子，特定的协议以测量由脂多糖（LPS）分泌的细胞因子的作用活化的对神经元PC12细胞N9小胶质细胞将被详细描述的，提供插入物共培养方法的一个具体的了解。

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		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:232px;">RPMI-1640 medium</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">R8755</td>
			<td style="width:328px;">Warm in 37 &#176;C water bath before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:232px;">Dulbecco&#8217;s Modified Eagle&#8217;s Medium/Nutrient Mixture F-12 Ham</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D6421</td>
			<td style="width:328px;">Warm in 37 &#176;C water bath before use, must be supplemented with 0.365 gm/L L-glutamine</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:232px;">Horse serum</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">ATCC</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">30-2040</td>
			<td style="width:328px;">Warm in 37 &#176;C water bath before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:232px;">Fetal bovine serum</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">MultiCell</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">80350</td>
			<td style="width:328px;">Warm in 37 &#176;C water bath before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="84">
			<td height="84" style="height:84px;width:232px;">Nerve Growth Factor-7S from murine submaxillary gland</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">N0513</td>
			<td style="width:328px;">Reconstitute the lyophilized powder in a solution of buffered saline or tissue culture medium containing 0.1&#8211;1.0% bovine serum albumin or 1-10% serum</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:232px;">Trypsin-EDTA solution</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">T3924</td>
			<td style="width:328px;">Warm in 37 &#176;C water bath before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:232px;">Lipopolysaccharides from&#160;Escherichia coli&#160;055:B5</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">L2880</td>
			<td style="width:328px;">Toxic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:232px;">Cell culture inserts for use with 24-well plates</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">BD Falcon</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">353095</td>
			<td style="width:328px;">0.4 &#956;m pores</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:232px;">24-well plates</td>
			<td style="width:71px;">TrueLine</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">TR5002</td>
			<td style="width:328px;">Coat with collagen before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Routine PC12 cell culture medium</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Routine N9 cell culture medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 85% RPMI medium</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 90% DMEM-F12 medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;">-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 10% heat-inactivated horse serum</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 10% heat-inactivated horse serum</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;">-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 5% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">PC12 differentiation medium</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>N9 treatment medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 99% RPMI medium</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 99% DMEM-F12 medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;">-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 1% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 1% heat-inactivated horse serum</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 50 ng/mL nerve growth factor</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">PC12 treatment medium</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 99% RPMI medium</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;">-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 1% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum</td>
			<td style="width:71px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

development of an insert co-culture system of two cellular types in the absence of cell-cell contact

The role of secreted soluble factors in the modification of cellular responses is a recurrent theme in the study of all tissues and systems. In an attempt to make straightforward the very complex relationships between the several cellular subtypes that compose multicellular organisms, in vitro techniques have been developed to help researchers acquire a detailed understanding of single cell populations. One of these techniques uses inserts with a permeable membrane allowing secreted soluble factors to diffuse. Thus, a population of cells grown in inserts can be co-cultured in a well or dish containing a different cell type for evaluating cellular changes following paracrine signaling in the absence of cell-cell contact. Such insert co-culture systems offer various advantages over other co-culture techniques, namely bidirectional signaling, conserved cell polarity and population-specific detection of cellular changes. In addition to being utilized in the field of inflammation, cancer, angiogenesis and differentiation, these co-culture systems are of prime importance in the study of the intricate relationships that exist between the different cellular subtypes present in the central nervous system, particularly in the context of neuroinflammation. This article offers general methodological guidelines in order to set up an experiment in order to evaluating cellular changes mediated by secreted soluble factors using an insert co-culture system. Moreover, a specific protocol to measure the neuroinflammatory effects of cytokines secreted by lipopolysaccharide-activated N9 microglia on neuronal PC12 cells will be detailed, offering a concrete understanding of insert co-culture methodology.

使用插入共培养系统，是在展示中枢神经系统的细胞不同玩家之间的关系，旁分泌神经炎症过程的研究尤为相关。免疫力在CNS被称为小胶质固有细胞监视它们在其静止支链状态（ 图2A）的环境，并能够感测扰动主要完成可能麻烦必要进行适当的神经元功能76-78的非常宝贵的动态平衡。小胶质细胞活化，其特征在于采用一个变形虫形状（ 图2B）</str...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Development of an Insert Co-culture System of Two Cellular Types in the Absence of Cell-Cell Contact at JoVE.com

Development of an Insert Co-culture System of Two Cellular Types in the Absence of Cell-Cell Contact

In multicellular organisms, secreted soluble factors elicit responses from different cell types as a result of paracrine signaling. Insert co-culture systems offer a simple way to assess the changes mediated by secreted soluble factors in the absence of cell-cell contact.

在细胞间接触缺失的两个蜂窝型的插入共培养系统的开发

The role of secreted soluble factors in the modification of cellular responses is a recurrent theme in the study of all tissues and systems. In an attempt ...

development-an-insert-co-culture-system-two-cellular-types-absence

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

27.6K 次观看.  University of Québec. In multicellular organisms, secreted soluble factors elicit responses from different cell types as a result of paracrine signaling. Insert co-culture systems offer a simple way to assess the changes mediated by secreted soluble factors in the absence of cell-cell contact.

视频: Development of an Insert Co-culture System of Two Cellular Types in the Absence of Cell-Cell Contact

A Neuronal and Astrocyte Co-Culture Assay for High Content Analysis of Neurotoxicity

High Content Analysis (HCA) assays combine cells and detection reagents with automated imaging and powerful image analysis algorithms, allowing measurement of multiple cellular phenotypes within a single assay. In this study, we utilized HCA to develop a novel assay for neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicity assessment represents an important part of drug safety evaluation, as well as being a significant focus of environmental protection efforts. Additionally, neurotoxicity is also a well-accepted in vitro marker of the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Recently, the application of HCA to neuronal screening has been reported. By labeling neuronal cells with &beta;III-tubulin, HCA assays can provide high-throughput, non-subjective, quantitative measurements of parameters such as neuronal number, neurite count and neurite length, all of which can indicate neurotoxic effects. However, the role of astrocytes remains unexplored in these models. Astrocytes have an integral role in the maintenance of central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis, and are associated with both neuroprotection and neurodegradation when they are activated in response to toxic substances or disease states. GFAP is an intermediate filament protein expressed predominantly in the astrocytes of the CNS. Astrocytic activation (gliosis) leads to the upregulation of GFAP, commonly accompanied by astrocyte proliferation and hypertrophy. This process of reactive gliosis has been proposed as an early marker of damage to the nervous system. The traditional method for GFAP quantitation is by immunoassay. This approach is limited by an inability to provide information on cellular localization, morphology and cell number. We determined that HCA could be used to overcome these limitations and to simultaneously measure multiple features associated with gliosis - changes in GFAP expression, astrocyte hypertrophy, and astrocyte proliferation - within a single assay. In co-culture studies, astrocytes have been shown to protect neurons against several types of toxic insult and to critically influence neuronal survival. Recent studies have suggested that the use of astrocytes in an in vitro neurotoxicity test system may prove more relevant to human CNS structure and function than neuronal cells alone. Accordingly, we have developed an HCA assay for co-culture of neurons and astrocytes, comprised of protocols and validated, target-specific detection reagents for profiling &beta;III-tubulin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). This assay enables simultaneous analysis of neurotoxicity, neurite outgrowth, gliosis, neuronal and astrocytic morphology and neuronal and astrocytic development in a wide variety of cellular models, representing a novel, non-subjective, high-throughput assay for neurotoxicity assessment. The assay holds great potential for enhanced detection of neurotoxicity and improved productivity in neuroscience research and drug discovery.

This article describes a novel protocol and reagent set designed for sensitive measurement of neurotoxic effects of compounds and treatments on co-cultures of neurons and astrocytes using high content analysis. Results demonstrate that high content analysis represents an exciting novel technology for neurotoxicity assessment.

一个神经元和星形胶质细胞共培养检测神经毒性的高含量分析

High Content Analysis (HCA) assays combine cells and detection reagents with automated imaging and powerful image analysis algorithms, allowing ...

科研

生物学

The use of SC1 (Pluripotin) to Support mESC Self-renewal in the Absence of LIF

Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells are conventionally cultured with Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) to maintain self-renewal.1 However, LIF is expensive and activation of the LIF/JAK/STAT3 pathway is not absolutely required to maintain the self-renewal state.2 The SC1 small molecule may be an economical alternative to LIF. SC1 functions through dual inhibition of Ras-GAP and ERK1.3 Illustration of its mechanism of action makes it a useful tool to study the fundamental molecular mechanism of self-renewal. Here we demonstrate the procedure for culturing mouse ES cells in the presence of SC1 and show that they are able to maintain self-renewal in the absence of LIF. Cells cultured with SC1 showed similar morphology compared to cells maintained with LIF. Both exhibited typical mouse ES morphology after five passages. Expression of typical pluripotency markers (Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, and SSEA1) was observed after five passages in the presence of SC1. Furthermore, SC1 caused no overt toxicity on mouse ES cells.

The use of SC1 Pluripotin to Support mESC Self-renewal in the Absence of LIF

SC1 functions through dual inhibition of Ras- GAP and ERK1. We tested the function of SC1 in supporting mouse ES cell self-renewal in the absence of LIF and showed that SC1 is able to maintain self-renewal of mouse ES cell cultures.

SC1（Pluripotin）使用，以支持在没有LIF的自我更新MESC

Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells are conventionally cultured with Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) to maintain self-renewal.1 However, LIF is expensive and ...

Fabrication and Operation of an Oxygen Insert for Adherent Cellular Cultures 

Oxygen is a key modulator of many cellular pathways, but current devices permitting in vitro oxygen modulation fail to meet the needs of biomedical research. The hypoxic chamber offers a simple system to control oxygenation in standard culture vessels, but lacks precise temporal and spatial control over the oxygen concentration at the cell surface, preventing its application in studying a variety of physiological phenomena. Other systems have improved upon the hypoxic chamber, but require specialized knowledge and equipment for their operation, making them intimidating for the average researcher. A microfabricated insert for multiwell plates has been developed to more effectively control the temporal and spatial oxygen concentration to better model physiological phenomena found in vivo. The platform consists of a polydimethylsiloxane insert that nests into a standard multiwell plate and serves as a passive microfluidic gas network with a gas-permeable membrane aimed to modulate oxygen delivery to adherent cells. The device is simple to use and is connected to gas cylinders that provide the pressure to introduce the desired oxygen concentration into the platform. Fabrication involves a combination of standard SU-8 photolithography, replica molding, and defined PDMS spinning on a silicon wafer. The components of the device are bonded after surface treatment using a hand-held plasma system. Validation is accomplished with a planar fluorescent oxygen sensor. Equilibration time is on the order of minutes and a wide variety of oxygen profiles can be attained based on the device design, such as the cyclic profile achieved in this study, and even oxygen gradients to mimic those found in vivo. The device can be sterilized for cell culture using common methods without loss of function. The device's applicability to studying the in vitro wound healing response will be demonstrated.

Fabrication and Operation of an Oxygen Insert for Adherent Cellular Cultures

Fabrication and validation of an add-on platform that offers enhanced control over the spatial and temporal oxygenation in a 6-well plate. The device is adaptable to a number of culture systems and can be used to investigate the effects of oxygen on wound healing.

为贴壁细胞培养的氧气插入的制备及操作

Oxygen is a key modulator of many cellular pathways, but current devices permitting in vitro oxygen modulation fail to meet the needs of biomedical ...

Visualization of Caenorhabditis elegans Cuticular Structures Using the Lipophilic Vital Dye DiI

The cuticle of C. elegans is a highly resistant structure that surrounds the exterior of the animal1-4. The cuticle not only protects the animal from the environment, but also determines body shape and plays a role in motility4-6. Several layers secreted by epidermal cells comprise the cuticle, including an outermost lipid layer7.
Circumferential ridges in the cuticle called annuli pattern the length of the animal and are present during all stages of development8. Alae are longitudinal ridges that are present during specific stages of development, including L1, dauer, and adult stages2,9. Mutations in genes that affect cuticular collagen organization can alter cuticular structure and animal body morphology5,6,10,11. While cuticular imaging using compound microscopy with DIC optics is possible, current methods that highlight cuticular structures include fluorescent transgene expression12, antibody staining13, and electron microscopy1. Labeled wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) has also been used to visualize cuticular glycoproteins, but is limited in resolving finer cuticular structures14. Staining of cuticular surface using fluorescent dye has been observed, but never characterized in detail15. We present a method to visualize cuticle in live C. elegans using the red fluorescent lipophilic dye DiI (1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate), which is commonly used in C. elegans to visualize environmentally exposed neurons. This optimized protocol for DiI staining is a simple, robust method for high resolution fluorescent visualization of annuli, alae, vulva, male tail, and hermaphrodite tail spike in C. elegans.

Visualization of Caenorhabditis elegans Cuticular Structures Using the Lipophilic Vital Dye DiI

We present a method to visualize cuticle in live C. elegans using the red fluorescent lipophilic dye DiI (1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate), which is commonly used in C. elegans to visualize environmentally exposed neurons. With this optimized protocol, alae and annular cuticular structures are stained by DiI and observed using compound microscopy.

可视化线虫角质层结构的亲脂性的重要染料，直接投资收益

The cuticle of C. elegans is a highly resistant structure that surrounds the exterior of the animal1-4. The cuticle not only protects the animal from the ...

Two Types of Assays for Detecting Frog Sperm Chemoattraction

Sperm chemoattraction in invertebrates can be sufficiently robust that one can place a pipette containing the attractive peptide into a sperm suspension and microscopically visualize sperm accumulation around the pipette1. Sperm chemoattraction in vertebrates such as frogs, rodents and humans is more difficult to detect and requires quantitative assays. Such assays are of two major types - assays that quantitate sperm movement to a source of chemoattractant, so-called sperm accumulation assays, and assays that actually track the swimming trajectories of individual sperm.
Sperm accumulation assays are relatively rapid allowing tens or hundreds of assays to be done in a single day, thereby allowing dose response curves and time courses to be carried out relatively rapidly. These types of assays have been used extensively to characterize many well established chemoattraction systems - for example, neutrophil chemotaxis to bacterial peptides and sperm chemotaxis to follicular fluid. Sperm tracking assays can be more labor intensive but offer additional data on how chemoattractancts actually alter the swimming paths that sperm take. This type of assay is needed to demonstrate the orientation of sperm movement relative to the chemoattrractant gradient axis and to visualize characteristic turns or changes in orientation that bring the sperm closer to the egg.
Here we describe methods used for each of these two types of assays. The sperm accumulation assay utilized is called a "two-chamber" assay. Amphibian sperm are placed in a tissue culture plate insert with a polycarbonate filter floor having 12 &mu;m diameter pores. Inserts with sperm are placed into tissue culture plate wells containing buffer and a chemoatttractant carefully pipetted into the bottom well where the floor meets the wall (see Fig. 1). After incubation, the top insert containing the sperm reservoir is carefully removed, and sperm in the bottom chamber that have passed through the membrane are removed, pelleted and then counted by hemocytometer or flow cytometer.
The sperm tracking assay utilizes a Zigmond chamber originally developed for observing neutrophil chemotaxis and modified for observation of sperm by Giojalas and coworkers2,3. The chamber consists of a thick glass slide into which two vertical troughs have been machined. These are separated by a 1 mm wide observation platform. After application of a cover glass, sperm are loaded into one trough, the chemoattractant agent into the other and movement of individual sperm visualized by video microscopy. Video footage is then analyzed using software to identify two-dimensional cell movements in the x-y plane as a function of time (xyt data sets) that form the trajectory of each sperm.

Eggs and the extracellular coatings around eggs frequently release peptides, proteins and small molecules that communicate with sperm to guide them to the egg thereby promoting fertilization. Using frog sperm we describe and compare two classes of assays used to detect sperm chemoattraction &#x2013; sperm accumulation assays and sperm tracking assays.

两种类型的检测，检测青蛙精子Chemoattraction

Sperm chemoattraction in invertebrates can be sufficiently robust that one can place a pipette containing the attractive peptide into a sperm suspension ...

A System for ex vivo Culturing of Embryonic Pancreas

The pancreas controls vital functions of our body, including the production of digestive enzymes and regulation of blood sugar levels1. Although in the past decade many studies have contributed to a solid foundation for understanding pancreatic organogenesis, important gaps persist in our knowledge of early pancreas formation2. A complete understanding of these early events will provide insight into the development of this organ, but also into incurable diseases that target the pancreas, such as diabetes or pancreatic cancer. Finally, this information will generate a blueprint for developing cell-replacement therapies in the context of diabetes.
 During embryogenesis, the pancreas originates from distinct embryonic outgrowths of the dorsal and ventral foregut endoderm at embryonic day (E) 9.5 in the mouse embryo3,4. Both outgrowths evaginate into the surrounding mesenchyme as solid epithelial buds, which undergo proliferation, branching and differentiation to generate a fully mature organ2,5,6. Recent evidences have suggested that growth and differentiation of pancreatic cell lineages, including the insulin-producing &beta;-cells, depends on proper tissue-architecture, epithelial remodeling and cell positioning within the branching pancreatic epithelium7,8. However, how branching morphogenesis occurs and is coordinated with proliferation and differentiation in the pancreas is largely unknown. This is in part due to the fact that current knowledge about these developmental processes has relied almost exclusively on analysis of fixed specimens, while morphogenetic events are highly dynamic.
 Here, we report a method for dissecting and culturing mouse embryonic pancreatic buds ex vivo on glass bottom dishes, which allow direct visualization of the developing pancreas (Figure 1). This culture system is ideally devised for confocal laser scanning microscopy and, in particular, live-cell imaging. Pancreatic explants can be prepared not only from wild-type mouse embryos, but also from genetically engineered mouse strains (e.g. transgenic or knockout), allowing real-time studies of mutant phenotypes. Moreover, this ex vivo culture system is valuable to study the effects of chemical compounds on pancreatic development, enabling to obtain quantitative data about proliferation and growth, elongation, branching, tubulogenesis and differentiation. In conclusion, the development of an ex vivo pancreatic explant culture method combined with high-resolution imaging provides a strong platform for observing morphogenetic and differentiation events as they occur within the developing mouse embryo.

A System for ex vivo Culturing of Embryonic Pancreas

Here, we describe a method for isolation, culture and manipulation of mouse embryonic pancreas. This represents an excellent ex vivo system for studying various aspects of pancreatic development, including morphogenesis, differentiation and growth. Pancreatic bud explants can be cultured for several days and used in a range of different applications, including whole-mount immunofluorescence and live imaging.

一个系统<em&gt;体外</em培养的胚胎胰腺

The pancreas controls vital functions of our body,  including the production of digestive enzymes and regulation of blood sugar  levels1. Although in the ...

An Analytical Tool that Quantifies Cellular Morphology Changes from Three-dimensional Fluorescence Images

The most common software analysis tools available for measuring fluorescence images are for two-dimensional (2D) data that rely on manual settings for inclusion and exclusion of data points, and computer-aided pattern recognition to support the interpretation and findings of the analysis. It has become increasingly important to be able to measure fluorescence images constructed from three-dimensional (3D) datasets in order to be able to capture the complexity of cellular dynamics and understand the basis of cellular plasticity within biological systems. Sophisticated microscopy instruments have permitted the visualization of 3D fluorescence images through the acquisition of multispectral fluorescence images and powerful analytical software that reconstructs the images from confocal stacks that then provide a 3D representation of the collected 2D images. Advanced design-based stereology methods have progressed from the approximation and assumptions of the original model-based stereology1 even in complex tissue sections2. Despite these scientific advances in microscopy, a need remains for an automated analytic method that fully exploits the intrinsic 3D data to allow for the analysis and quantification of the complex changes in cell morphology, protein localization and receptor trafficking. 
Current techniques available to quantify fluorescence images include Meta-Morph (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA) and Image J (NIH) which provide manual analysis. Imaris (Andor Technology, Belfast, Northern Ireland) software provides the feature MeasurementPro, which allows the manual creation of measurement points that can be placed in a volume image or drawn on a series of 2D slices to create a 3D object. This method is useful for single-click point measurements to measure a line distance between two objects or to create a polygon that encloses a region of interest, but it is difficult to apply to complex cellular network structures. Filament Tracer (Andor) allows automatic detection of the 3D neuronal filament-like however, this module has been developed to measure defined structures such as neurons, which are comprised of dendrites, axons and spines (tree-like structure). This module has been ingeniously utilized to make morphological measurements to non-neuronal cells3, however, the output data provide information of an extended cellular network by using a software that depends on a defined cell shape rather than being an amorphous-shaped cellular model. To overcome the issue of analyzing amorphous-shaped cells and making the software more suitable to a biological application, Imaris developed Imaris Cell. This was a scientific project with the Eidgen&ouml;ssische Technische Hochschule, which has been developed to calculate the relationship between cells and organelles. While the software enables the detection of biological constraints, by forcing one nucleus per cell and using cell membranes to segment cells, it cannot be utilized to analyze fluorescence data that are not continuous because ideally it builds cell surface without void spaces. To our knowledge, at present no user-modifiable automated approach that provides morphometric information from 3D fluorescence images has been developed that achieves cellular spatial information of an undefined shape (Figure 1). 
We have developed an analytical platform using the Imaris core software module and Imaris XT interfaced to MATLAB (Mat Works, Inc.). These tools allow the 3D measurement of cells without a pre-defined shape and with inconsistent fluorescence network components. Furthermore, this method will allow researchers who have extended expertise in biological systems, but not familiarity to computer applications, to perform quantification of morphological changes in cell dynamics.

We developed a software platform that utilizes Imaris Neuroscience, ImarisXT and MATLAB to measure the changes in morphology of an undefined shape taken from three-dimensional confocal fluorescence of single cells. This novel approach can be used to quantify changes in cell shape following receptor activation and therefore represents a possible additional tool for drug discovery.

细胞形态变化，从三维荧光图像量化的分析工具，

The most common software analysis tools available for measuring fluorescence images are for two-dimensional (2D) data that rely on manual settings for ...

Mouse Embryonic Development in a Serum-free Whole Embryo Culture System

Mid-gestation stage mouse embryos were cultured utilizing a serum-free culture medium prepared from commercially available stem cell media supplements in an oxygenated rolling bottle culture system. Mouse embryos at E10.5 were carefully isolated from the uterus with intact yolk sac and in a process involving precise surgical maneuver the embryos were gently exteriorized from the yolk sac while maintaining the vascular continuity of the embryo with the yolk sac. Compared to embryos prepared with intact yolk sac or with the yolk sac removed, these embryos exhibited superior survival rate and developmental progression when cultured under similar conditions. We show that these mouse embryos, when cultured in a defined medium in an atmosphere of 95% O2 / 5% CO2 in a rolling bottle culture apparatus at 37 &#176;&#8203;C for 16-40 hr, exhibit morphological growth and development comparable to the embryos developing in utero. We believe this method will be useful for investigators needing to utilize whole embryo culture to study signaling interactions important in embryonic organogenesis.

Serum utilized in embryo cultures contains unknown components that can affect the outcome of experiments especially in studies involving signaling interactions. Here we utilized a serum-free oxygenated culture system and show that mid-gestation mouse embryos cultured for 16-40 hr&#160;exhibit morphological development comparable to embryos developing in utero.

鼠胚体外发育无血清全胚胎培养系统

Mid-gestation stage mouse embryos were cultured utilizing a serum-free culture medium prepared from commercially available stem cell media supplements in ...

An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development

The thyroid is a bilobated endocrine gland localized at the base of the neck, producing the thyroid hormones T3, T4, and calcitonin. T3 and T4 are produced by differentiated thyrocytes, organized in closed spheres called follicles, while calcitonin is synthesized by C-cells, interspersed in between the follicles and a dense network of blood capillaries. Although adult thyroid architecture and functions have been extensively described and studied, the formation of the &#8220;angio-follicular&#8221; units, the distribution of C-cells in the parenchyma and the paracrine communications between epithelial and endothelial cells is far from being understood.
This method describes the sequential steps of mouse embryonic thyroid anlagen dissection and its culture on semiporous filters or on microscopy plastic slides. Within a period of four days, this culture system faithfully recapitulates in vivo thyroid development. Indeed, (i) bilobation of the organ occurs (for e12.5 explants), (ii) thyrocytes precursors organize into follicles and polarize, (iii) thyrocytes and C-cells differentiate, and (iv) endothelial cells present in the microdissected tissue proliferate, migrate into the thyroid lobes, and closely associate with the epithelial cells, as they do in vivo.
Thyroid tissues can be obtained from wild type, knockout or fluorescent transgenic embryos. Moreover, explants culture can be manipulated by addition of inhibitors, blocking antibodies, growth factors, or even cells or conditioned medium. Ex vivo development can be analyzed in real-time, or at any time of the culture by immunostaining and RT-qPCR.
In conclusion, thyroid explant culture combined with downstream whole-mount or on sections imaging and gene expression profiling provides a powerful system for manipulating and studying morphogenetic and differentiation events of thyroid organogenesis.

An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development

This protocol describes dissection of mouse embryonic thyroid anlagen and the culture of explants on semiporous filters or on microscopy plastic slides. This system is ideal to study morphogenetic or differentiation events occurring during thyroid development of wild type or knockout embryos, and is amenable to gain- and loss-of-function experiments.

一个<em&gt;体外</em&gt;企业文化系统来研究甲状腺发展

The thyroid is a bilobated endocrine gland localized at the base of the neck, producing the thyroid hormones T3, T4, and calcitonin. T3 and T4 are ...

Establishment of an Extracellular Acidic pH Culture System

Conditions of the tumor microenvironment, such as hypoxia or nutrient starvation, play critical roles in cancer progression and malignancy. However, the role of acidic extracellular pH in tumor aggressiveness and its underlying mechanism has not been extensively studied compared to hypoxic or nutrient starvation conditions. In addition, a well-defined culture method to mimic the acidic extracellular tumor microenvironment has not been fully reported.
Here we present a simple in vitro culture method to maintain acidic extracellular pH using reduced bicarbonate and increased lactate or HCl concentrations in the culture medium. The medium pH was sustained for at least 24 h and gradually decreased by 72 h following culture of PANC-1 and AsPC-1 pancreatic cancer cells. Three distinct acidic media conditions in this study highly upregulated pH-responsive genes such as MSMO1, INSIG1, and IDI1 compared to hypoxia or nutrient starvation. The upregulation of these genes can be used as a marker of acidic pH. These simple techniques are beneficial to elucidate underlying mechanisms of tumor malignancy under acidic tumor microenvironment. Therefore, our extracellular acidic pH culture system enables discovery of cellular acidic pH responses not only in cancer cells but also in primary cells, such as renal tubular cells, in relation to the other acidic disorders including, diabetic ketoacidosis, lactic acidosis, renal tubular acidosis, and respiratory acidosis.

The acidic tumor microenvironment plays critical roles in tumor progression. To assess the effects of acidic extracellular pH on cancer cells in vitro, we established simple acidic culture systems.

胞外酸性 pH 培养体系的建立

Conditions of the tumor microenvironment, such as hypoxia or nutrient starvation, play critical roles in cancer progression and malignancy. However, the ...