The work described here was funded by the U S Department of Veterans Affairs Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development BX001686-1A1 and VA Rehabilitation Research and Development.

1. Plating and Maintenance of Cell Culture
<ol>
	<li>Warm Dulbecco&#39;s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) culture media (DMEM + 10% FBS + 1% Penicillin/Streptomycin/Neomycin) to 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Obtain stock of frozen A12 cells from -80 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Rapidly thaw cells in 37 &#176;C water bath; once thawed, gently pipette cells to transfer to a 75 cm2 vented culture flask and add 10 ml of culture media.</li>
	<li>Incubate flask overnight in 5% CO2 incubator at 37 &#176;C. Aspirate media after 24 hr and replace with fresh media. Continue growing cells until 70-80% confluence is obtained (2-3 days growth).</li>
</ol>
2. Counting and Plating Cells
<ol>
	<li>Warm DMEM and 1x-trypsin-EDTA solution to 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Aspirate media from cells and wash two times with sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS).</li>
	<li>Add 500 &#956;l of trypsin solution and incubate at 37 &#176;C for 2-5 min.</li>
	<li>Detach cells from flask using a scraper and suspend cells in 5 ml of media. Pass cells through strainer and pass through cell strainer into a clean 50 ml tube. May need to pass cells through strainer more than once, but do not repeat more than three times.</li>
	<li>Count cells using a hemocytometer to determine amount of cells to culture to seed 6,000 cell/well in a 96-well clear bottom black or white walled plate in a final volume of 100 &#956;l of media. Incubate plate in 5% CO2 at 37 &#176;C for 24 hr.</li>
</ol>
3. Determining Cell Viability and Caspase-3/7 Activity
<ol>
	<li>Transfer PA to a sterile 5 ml glass vial and solubilize in 100% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Dilute stock PA solution 1:10 in DMSO and add it to prewarmed DMEM to obtain a final working concentration of 0.1 mM PA. For control media, add the same concentration of DMSO that is added to media containing PA.</li>
	<li>Remove the media in each well and replace with 50 &#956;l media +/- PA. Incubate the plate for 2 hr in 5% CO2 at 37 &#176;C. Then add 5 &#956;l resazurin reagent and incubate for 10 min at room temperature.</li>
	<li>Using a multimode microplate reader, record fluorescence (560EX/590EM) to measure cell viability. Results are presented as relative fluorescence units (RFU).</li>
	<li>To the same plate, add 55 &#956;l of caspase reagent and incubate at room temperature for 2 hr.</li>
	<li>Again using the microplate reader, record luminescence to measure caspase-3/7 activity. Results are presented as relative luminescence units (RLU), with luminescence directly proportional to caspase-3/7 activity.</li>
	<li>To normalize caspase-3/7 activity to cell count, divide cell viability (RFU) by caspase-3/7 activity (RLU).</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Akil, L., Ahmad, H. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Relationships+between+obesity+and+cardiovascular+diseases+in+four+southern+states+and+Colorado.">Relationships between obesity and cardiovascular diseases in four southern states and Colorado.</a> J. Health Care Poor Underserved. 22, 61-72 (2011).</li><li>Posey, K. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hypothalamic+proinflammatory+lipid+accumulation,+inflammation,+and+insulin+resistance+in+rats+fed+a+high-fat+diet.">Hypothalamic proinflammatory lipid accumulation, inflammation, and insulin resistance in rats fed a high-fat diet.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 296, 1003-1012 (2009).</li><li>Moraes, J. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-fat+diet+induces+apoptosis+of+hypothalamic+neurons.">High-fat diet induces apoptosis of hypothalamic neurons.</a> PloS one. 4, (2009).</li><li>Mayer, C. M., Belsham, D. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Palmitate+attenuates+insulin+signaling+and+induces+endoplasmic+reticulum+stress+and+apoptosis+in+hypothalamic+neurons:+rescue+of+resistance+and+apoptosis+through+adenosine+5'+monophosphate-activated+protein+kinase+activation.">Palmitate attenuates insulin signaling and induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in hypothalamic neurons: rescue of resistance and apoptosis through adenosine 5' monophosphate-activated protein kinase activation.</a> Endocrinology. 151, 576-585 (2010).</li><li>Benoit, S. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Palmitic+acid+mediates+hypothalamic+insulin+resistance+by+altering+PKC-theta+subcellular+localization+in+rodents.">Palmitic acid mediates hypothalamic insulin resistance by altering PKC-theta subcellular localization in rodents.</a> J. Clin. Invest. 119, 2577-2589 (2009).</li><li>Thaler, J. P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Obesity+is+associated+with+hypothalamic+injury+in+rodents+and+humans.">Obesity is associated with hypothalamic injury in rodents and humans.</a> J. Clin. Invest. 122, 153-162 (2012).</li><li>Williams, L. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hypothalamic+dysfunction+in+obesity.">Hypothalamic dysfunction in obesity.</a> Proc. Nutr. Soc. 71, 521-533 (2012).</li><li>Belsham, D. D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+a+phenotypic+array+of+hypothalamic+neuronal+cell+models+to+study+complex+neuroendocrine+disorders.">Generation of a phenotypic array of hypothalamic neuronal cell models to study complex neuroendocrine disorders.</a> Endocrinology. 145, 393-400 (2004).</li><li>Xiao, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Monitoring+of+cell+viability+and+proliferation+in+hydrogel-encapsulated+system+by+resazurin+assay.">Monitoring of cell viability and proliferation in hydrogel-encapsulated system by resazurin assay.</a> Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 162, 1996-2007 (2010).</li><li>Butterick, T. A., Nixon, J. P., Billington, C. J., Kotz, C. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Orexin+A+decreases+lipid+peroxidation+and+apoptosis+in+a+novel+hypothalamic+cell+model.">Orexin A decreases lipid peroxidation and apoptosis in a novel hypothalamic cell model.</a> Neurosci. Lett. 524, 30-34 (2012).</li><li>Riss, T. L., Moravec, R. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Use+of+multiple+assay+endpoints+to+investigate+the+effects+of+incubation+time,+dose+of+toxin,+and+plating+density+in+cell-based+cytotoxicity+assays.+Assay+Drug+Dev.">Use of multiple assay endpoints to investigate the effects of incubation time, dose of toxin, and plating density in cell-based cytotoxicity assays. Assay Drug Dev.</a> Technol. 2, 51-62 (2004).</li><li>Niles, A. L., Moravec, R. A., Riss, T. 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The authors have no conflicts to disclose.

The multiplex assay is a well-accepted technique that has been used by scientists in numerous applications such as PCR microarrays, immunodetection, and other protein-based detection methods13,14. Recently, multiplexing assays have become increasingly utilized in in vitro plate-based experiments and have been validated as an accurate method of assessing cytotoxicity and viability12. In the above protocol, we demonstrate the effectiveness of multiplexing fluorescent and...

Diets rich in saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid (PA) have been linked to obesity and other comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes1,2. High fat diets have also been shown to increase oxidative stress, apoptosis, and neuronal degeneration in the hypothalamus, an important regulator of appetite and energy expenditure3-7. Understanding the mechanism through which high fat diet exposure induces hypothalamic dysregulation is thus important for development of pharmacological treatments for obesity. However, the cellular mechanisms through which dietary fat affects neuronal function remain unclear. A better understanding of how fats such as PA might trigger onset of hypothalamic apoptotic pathways is a necessary first step toward this aim. The goal of this article is to describe a multiplex assay for in vitro testing of neuronal response to PA exposure, developed for use in studies of hypothalamic neurodegeneration. We provide a detailed description of an in vitro 96-well format multiplex assay for measuring caspase 3/7 activity per total number of cells in a differentiated immortalized adult mouse hypothalamic cell line (designated A12) after oxidative challenge with PA8.
Briefly, cell viability is determined following PA challenge via a resazurin based assay. Resazurin is a cell permeable compound that undergoes enzymatic reduction in metabolically active cells, a process thought to occur via the mitochondria9. Viable cells continuously convert resazurin to resorufin, producing a fluorescent signal proportional to the number of viable cells. Caspase-3/7 activity is then analyzed using a DEVD-based lumogenic assay. DEVD is an amino acid sequence (Asp-Glu-Val-Asp) cleaved by caspase-3. When this sequence is coupled to a lumogenic substance, upon activation of intracellular caspase-3/7 and subsequent cleavage of DEVD substrate, the luminescent product is released. This reaction is proportional to caspase activity and thus to the induction of apoptosis. As dead cells cannot produce caspase, caspase-3/7 activity is by nature transient; therefore analysis should be completed between 30 min to 4 hr post-challenge, depending on effectiveness of cell stressor. Cell viability is inversely proportional to caspase-3/7 activity and can be used to determine mechanisms of cell death. For example, this method has previously been used to show that pretreatment with the peptide hormone orexin reduces apoptosis in hypothalamic cells challenged with hydrogen peroxide, suggesting that mechanisms affected by this treatment are important in protecting against oxidative damage10. It is important to note these assays are cell line- and tissue-dependent, as they rely upon mitochondrial activity to reduce assay reagents. This protocol has been optimized for adult mouse hypothalamic (A12) cells; however, methods described may be altered to fit within the scope of similar research.
Multiplexing assays from a single culture well provides an advantage over the traditional method of performing individual assays for several reasons. In addition to saving time, cell samples, and culture reagents, multiplexing assays can also provide knowledge of cell survival and death, provide internal controls, and eliminate the need for repetitive experiments11,12.
Alternative methods have relied upon Western blots or ELISAs, which are reliable assays, but are expensive and time consuming (1-2 days), especially when using a 96-well format. Excluding the time it takes to culture cells for the multiplexing assay, the total time is less than 3 hr. While this protocol has been optimized for use with A12 cells, it may be altered for use in other models while keeping in mind factors that may influence cell integrity. Determining if this protocol would work for a series of experiments depends upon on the number of samples or experimental conditions and on planned downstream experiments.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="723">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:268px;">Adult Mouse Hypothalamus Cell Line mHypoA-1/2&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">Cellutions Biosystems Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:151px;">CLU172</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:268px;">Dulbecco&#8217;s Modified Eagle&#8217;s Medium</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:151px;">10313-039</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:268px;">Fetal bovine serum&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">PAA Labs</td>
			<td style="width:151px;">A15-751</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:268px;">Penicillin/Streptomycin</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:151px;">15070-063</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:268px;">Palmitic Acid</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:151px;">P0500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:268px;">Dimethy sulfoxide&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:151px;">D2650</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:268px;"> 
			PrestoBlue Cell Viability Reagent</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td>A13262</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:268px;">Caspase-Glo 3/7 Assay Systems</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">Promega</td>
			<td style="width:151px;">G8091</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:268px;">Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:137px;"></td>
			<td style="width:151px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:268px;">96W Optical Bottom Plate, Black Polystyrene, Cell Culture Treated, with lid, Sterile</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:151px;">165305</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:268px;">SpectraMax M5 Multi-Mode Microplate</td>
			<td style="width:137px;">Molecular Devices</td>
			<td style="width:151px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

use of a caspase multiplexing assay to determine apoptosis in a hypothalamic cell model

The ability to multiplex assays in studies of complex cellular mechanisms eliminates the need for repetitive experiments, provides internal controls, and decreases waste in costs and reagents. Here we describe optimization of a multiplex assay to assess apoptosis following a palmitic acid (PA) challenge in an in vitro hypothalamic model, using both fluorescent and luminescent based assays to measure viable cell counts and caspase-3/7 activity in a 96-well microtiter plate format. Following PA challenge, viable cells were determined by a resazurin-based fluorescent assay. Caspase-3/7 activity was then determined using a luminogenic substrate, DEVD, and normalized to cell number. This multiplexing assay is a useful technique for determining change in caspase activity following an apoptotic stimulus, such as saturated fatty acid challenge. The saturated fatty acid PA can increase hypothalamic oxidative stress and apoptosis, indicating the potential importance of assays such as that described here in studying the relationship between saturated fatty acids and neuronal function.

The protocol above describes results in multiplexing two separate assays to determine mechanisms of cell death. Figure 1 shows an overview of the protocol to determine cell viability and caspase-3/7 activity. Caspase activity was significantly increased in cells challenged with PA after 2 hr incubation (Figure 2A and Table 1). Loss of cell membrane integrity is a morphological change associated with the induction of apoptosis, which is apparent in cells after 2 hr exposu...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Use of a Caspase Multiplexing Assay to Determine Apoptosis in a Hypothalamic Cell Model at JoVE.com

Use of a Caspase Multiplexing Assay to Determine Apoptosis in a Hypothalamic Cell Model

Multiplex assays can provide beneficial information for basic cellular mechanisms&#160;and eliminate waste of reagents and unnecessary repetitive experiments. We describe here a multiplex caspase-3/7 activity assay, using fluorescent- and luminescent-based methods, to determine cell viability in an in vitro hypothalamic model following oxidative challenge with palmitic acid.

The ability to multiplex assays in studies of complex cellular mechanisms eliminates the need for repetitive experiments, provides internal controls, and ...

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JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

14.9K Views.  Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Multiplex assays can provide beneficial information for basic cellular mechanisms and eliminate waste of reagents and unnecessary repetitive experiments. We describe here a multiplex caspase-3/7 activity assay, using fluorescent- and luminescent-based methods, to determine cell viability in an in vitro hypothalamic model following oxidative challenge with palmitic acid.

Video: Use of a Caspase Multiplexing Assay to Determine Apoptosis in a Hypothalamic Cell Model

Optic Nerve Transection: A Model of Adult Neuron Apoptosis in the Central Nervous System

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are CNS neurons that output visual information from the retina to the brain, via the optic nerve. 
The optic nerve can be accessed within the orbit of the eye and completely transected (axotomized), cutting the axons of the entire RGC population. Optic nerve 
transection is a reproducible model of apoptotic neuronal cell death in the adult CNS 1-4. This model is particularly attractive because the vitreous
 chamber of the eye acts as a capsule for drug delivery to the retina, permitting experimental manipulations via intraocular injections. The diffusion of chemicals 
through the vitreous fluid ensures that they act upon the entire RGC population. Moreover, RGCs can be selectively transfected by applying short interfering RNAs 
(siRNAs), plasmids, or viral vectors to the cut end of the optic nerve 5-7 or injecting vectors into their target, the superior colliculus 8. 
This allows researchers to study apoptotic mechanisms in the desired neuronal population without confounding effects on other bystander neurons or surrounding glia. 
An additional benefit is the ease and accuracy with which cell survival can be quantified after injury. The retina is a flat, layered tissue and RGCs are localized in 
the innermost layer, the ganglion cell layer. The survival of RGCs can be tracked over time by applying a fluorescent tracer (3% Fluorogold) to the cut end of the 
optic nerve at the time of axotomy, or by injecting the tracer into the superior colliculus (RGC target) one week prior to axotomy. The tracer is retrogradely transported, labeling 
the entire RGC population. Because the ganglion cell layer is a monolayer (one cell thick), RGC densities can be quantified in flat-mounted tissue, without the need 
for stereology. Optic nerve transection leads to the apoptotic death of 90% of injured RGCs within 14 days postaxotomy 9-11. RGC apoptosis has a 
characteristic time-course whereby cell death is delayed 3-4 days postaxotomy, after which the cells rapidly degenerate. This provides a time window for 
experimental manipulations directed against pathways involved in apoptosis.

Optic Nerve transection is a widely used model of adult CNS injury. Ninety percent of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) whose axons are completely transected (axotomy) die within 14 days after axotomy. This model is easily amenable to experimental manipulations and highly reproducible.

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are CNS neurons that output visual information from the retina to the brain, via the optic nerve. 
The optic nerve can be ...

Neural-Colony Forming Cell Assay: An Assay To Discriminate Bona Fide Neural Stem Cells from Neural Progenitor Cells

The neurosphere assay (NSA) is one of the most frequently used methods to isolate, expand and also calculate the frequency of neural stem cells (NSCs). Furthermore, this serum-free culture system has also been employed to expand stem cells and determine their frequency from a variety of tumors and normal tissues. It has been shown recently that a one-to-one relationship does not exist between neurosphere formation and NSCs. This suggests that the NSA as currently applied, overestimates the frequency of NSCs in a mixed population of neural precursor cells isolated from both the embryonic and adult mammalian brain. This video practically demonstrates a novel collagen based semi- solid assay, the neural-colony forming cell assay (N-CFCA), which has the ability to discriminate stem from progenitor cells based on their long-term proliferative potential, and thus provides a method to enumerate NSC frequency. In the N-CFCA, colonies &ge;2 mm in diameter are derived from cells that meet all the functional criteria of a NSC, while colonies &lt; 2mm are derived from progenitors. The N-CFCA procedure can be used for cells prepared from different sources including primary and cultured adult or embryonic mouse CNS cells. Here we use cells prepared from passage one neurospheres generated from embryonic day 14 mice brain to perform N-CFCA. The cultures are replenished with proliferation medium every seven days for three weeks to allow the plated cells to exhibit their full proliferative potential and then the frequency of neural progenitor and bona fide neural stem cells is calculated respectively by counting the number of colonies that are &lt; 2mm and the ones that are &ge;2mm in reference to the number of cells that were initially plated.

This video protocol demonstrates how to discriminate and enumerate bona fide neural stem cells in a mixed population of neural precursor cells using the neural colony-forming cell assay.

The neurosphere assay (NSA) is one of the most frequently used methods to isolate, expand and also calculate the frequency of neural stem cells (NSCs). ...

Monitoring Cleaved Caspase-3 Activity and Apoptosis of Immortalized Oligodendroglial Cells using Live-cell Imaging and Cleaveable Fluorogenic-dye Substrates Following Potassium-induced Membrane Depolarization

The central nervous system can experience a number of stresses and neurological insults, which can have numerous adverse effects that ultimately lead to a reduction in neuronal population and function. Damaged axons can release excitatory molecules including potassium or glutamate into the extracellular matrix, which in turn, can produce further insult and injury to the supporting glial cells including astrocytes and oligodendrocytes 8, 16. If the insult persists, cells will undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis), which is regulated and activated by a number of well-established signal transduction cascades 14. Apoptosis and tissue necrosis can occur after traumatic brain injury, cerebral ischemia, and seizures. A classical example of apoptotic regulation is the family of cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed proteases, or caspases. Activated proteases including caspases have also been implicated in cell death in response to chronic neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Multiple Sclerosis 4, 14, 3, 11, 7.
In this protocol we describe the use of the NucView 488 caspase-3 substrate to measure the rate of caspase-3 mediated apoptosis in immortalized N19-oligodendrocyte (OLG) cell cultures 15, 5, following exposure to different extracellular stresses such as high concentrations of potassium or glutamate. The conditionally-immortalized N19-OLG cell line (representing the O2A progenitor) was obtained from Dr. Anthony Campagnoni (UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience) 15, 5, and has been previously used to study molecular mechanisms of myelin gene expression and signal transduction leading to OLG differentiation (e.g.6, 10). We have found this cell line to be robust with respect to transfection with exogenous myelin basic protein (MBP) constructs fused to either RFP or GFP (red or green fluorescent protein) 13, 12. Here, the N19-OLG cell cultures were treated with either 80 mM potassium chloride or 100 mM sodium glutamate to mimic axonal leakage into the extracellular matrix to induce apoptosis 9. We used a bi-functional caspase-3 substrate containing a DEVD (Asp-Glu-Val-Asp) caspase-3 recognition subunit and a DNA-binding dye 2. The substrate quickly enters the cytoplasm where it is cleaved by intracellular caspase-3. The dye, NucView 488 is released and enters the cell nucleus where it binds DNA and fluoresces green at 488 nm, signaling apoptosis. Use of the NucView 488 caspase-3 substrate allows for live-cell imaging in real-time 1, 10. In this video, we also describe the culturing and transfection of immortalized N19-OLG cells, as well as live-cell imaging techniques.

Monitoring Cleaved Caspase-3 Activity and Apoptosis of Immortalized Oligodendroglial Cells using Live-cell Imaging and Cleaveable Fluorogenic-dye Substrates Following Potassium-induced Membrane Depola

Live-cell imaging of caspase-3 mediated apoptosis in immortalized N19-oligodendrocyte cell cultures using the NucView 488 caspase-3 substrate. This technique is applicable for programmed cell death assays in real-time in a variety of cell types and tissues.

The central nervous system can experience a number of stresses and neurological insults, which can have numerous adverse effects that ultimately lead to a ...

Functional Interrogation of Adult Hypothalamic Neurogenesis with Focal Radiological Inhibition

The functional characterization of adult-born neurons remains a significant challenge. Approaches to inhibit adult neurogenesis via invasive viral delivery or transgenic animals have potential confounds that make interpretation of results from these studies difficult. New radiological tools are emerging, however, that allow one to noninvasively investigate the function of select groups of adult-born neurons through accurate and precise anatomical targeting in small animals. Focal ionizing radiation inhibits the birth and differentiation of new neurons, and allows targeting of specific neural progenitor regions. In order to illuminate the potential functional role that adult hypothalamic neurogenesis plays in the regulation of physiological processes, we developed a noninvasive focal irradiation technique to selectively inhibit the birth of adult-born neurons in the hypothalamic median eminence. We describe a method for Computer tomography-guided focal irradiation (CFIR) delivery to enable precise and accurate anatomical targeting in small animals. CFIR uses three-dimensional volumetric image guidance for localization and targeting of the radiation dose, minimizes radiation exposure to nontargeted brain regions, and allows for conformal dose distribution with sharp beam boundaries. This protocol allows one to ask questions regarding the function of adult-born neurons, but also opens areas to questions in areas of radiobiology, tumor biology, and immunology. These radiological tools will facilitate the translation of discoveries at the bench to the bedside.

The function of adult-born mammalian neurons remains an active area of investigation. Ionizing radiation inhibits the birth of new neurons. Using computer tomography-guided focal irradiation (CFIR), three-dimensional anatomical targeting of specific neural progenitor populations can now be used to assess the functional role of adult neurogenesis.

The functional characterization of adult-born neurons remains a significant challenge. Approaches to inhibit adult neurogenesis via invasive viral ...

A Novel Light Damage Paradigm for Use in Retinal Regeneration Studies in Adult Zebrafish

Light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD) is commonly used in both rodents and zebrafish to damage rod and cone photoreceptors. In adult zebrafish, photoreceptor degeneration triggers M&#252;ller glial cells to re-enter the cell cycle and produce transient-amplifying progenitors. These progenitors continue to proliferate as they migrate to the damaged area, where they ultimately give rise to new photoreceptors. Currently, there are two widely-used LIRD paradigms, each of which results in varying degrees of photoreceptor loss and corresponding differences in the regeneration response. As more genetic and pharmacological tools are available to test the role of individual genes of interest during regeneration, there is a need to develop a robust LIRD paradigm. Here we describe a LIRD protocol that results in widespread and consistent loss of both rod and cone photoreceptors in which we have combined the use of two previously established LIRD techniques. Furthermore, this protocol can be extended for use in pigmented animals, which eliminates the need to maintain transgenic lines of interest on the albino background for LIRD studies.

Multiple light damage protocols have been described to damage photoreceptors and consequently induce a retinal regeneration response in adult zebrafish. This protocol describes an improved method that can be used in pigmented animals and that damages the vast majority of rod and cone photoreceptors across the entire retina.

Light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD) is commonly used in both rodents and zebrafish to damage rod and cone photoreceptors. In adult zebrafish, ...

Microglia as a Surrogate Biosensor to Determine Nanoparticle Neurotoxicity

Nanoparticles found in air pollutants can alter neurotransmitter profiles, increase neuroinflammation, and alter brain function. Therefore, the assay described here will aid in elucidating the role of microglia in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. The use of microglia, resident immune cells of the brain, as a surrogate biosensor provides novel insight into how inflammatory responses mediate neuronal insults. Here, we utilize an immortalized murine microglial cell line, designated BV2, and describe a method for nanoparticle exposure using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as a standard. We describe how to expose microglia to nanoparticles, how to remove nanoparticles from supernatant, and how to use supernatant from activated microglia to determine toxicity, using hypothalamic cell survival as a measure. Following AgNP exposure, BV2 microglial activation was validated using a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-&#945;) enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The supernatant was filtered to remove the AgNP and to allow cytokines and other secreted factors to remain in the conditioned media. Hypothalamic cells were then exposed to supernatant from AgNP activated microglia and survival of neurons was determined using a resazurin-based fluorescent assay. This technique is useful for utilizing microglia as a surrogate biomarker of neuroinflammation and determining the effect of neuroinflammation on other cell types.

Microglia (immune cells of the brain), are used as a surrogate biosensor to determine how nanoparticles influence neurotoxicity. We describe a series of experiments designed to assay microglial response to nanoparticles and exposure of hypothalamic neurons to supernatant from activated microglia to determine neurotoxicity.

Nanoparticles found in air pollutants can alter neurotransmitter profiles, increase neuroinflammation, and alter brain function. Therefore, the assay ...

The Use of Trace Eyeblink Classical Conditioning to Assess Hippocampal Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Neonatal rats were administered a relatively high concentration of ethyl alcohol (11.9% v/v) during postnatal days 4-9, a time when the fetal brain undergoes rapid organizational change and is similar to accelerated brain changes that occur during the third trimester in humans. This model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) produces severe brain damage, mimicking the amount and pattern of binge-drinking that occurs in some pregnant alcoholic mothers. We describe the use of trace eyeblink classical conditioning (ECC), a higher-order variant of associative learning, to assess long-term hippocampal dysfunction that is typically seen in alcohol-exposed adult offspring. At 90 days of age, rodents were surgically prepared with recording and stimulating electrodes, which measured electromyographic (EMG) blink activity from the left eyelid muscle and delivered mild shock posterior to the left eye, respectively. After a 5 day recovery period, they underwent 6 sessions of trace ECC to determine associative learning differences between alcohol-exposed and control rats. Trace ECC is one of many possible ECC procedures that can be easily modified using the same equipment and software, so that different neural systems can be assessed. ECC procedures in general, can be used as diagnostic tools for detecting neural pathology in different brain systems and different conditions that insult the brain.

Trace eyeblink classical conditioning (ECC) was used to assess hippocampal-dependent associative learning in adult rats that were administered a high concentration (11.9% v/v) of alcohol during early neonatal brain development. In general, ECC procedures are sound diagnostic tools for detecting brain dysfunction across many psychological and biomedical settings.

Neonatal rats were administered a relatively high concentration of ethyl alcohol (11.9% v/v) during postnatal days 4-9, a time when the fetal brain ...

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

The enormous sizes of the mammalian odorant receptor (OR) families present difficulties to find their cognate ligands among numerous volatile chemicals. To efficiently and accurately deorphanize ORs, we combine the use of a heterologous cell line to express mammalian ORs and a genetically modified biosensor plasmid to measure cAMP production downstream of OR activation in real time. This assay can be used to screen odorants against ORs and vice versa. Positive odorant-receptor interactions from the screens can be subsequently confirmed by testing against various odor concentrations, generating concentration-response curves. Here we used this method to perform a high-throughput screening of an odorous compound against a human OR library expressed in Hana3A cells and confirmed that the positively-responding receptor is the cognate receptor for the compound of interest. We found this high-throughput detection method to be efficient and reliable in assessing OR activation and our data provide an example of its potential use in OR functional studies.

Characterizing the function of odorant receptors serves an indispensable part in the deorphanization process. We describe a method to measure the activation of odorant receptors in real time using a cAMP assay.

The enormous sizes of the mammalian odorant receptor (OR) families present difficulties to find their cognate ligands among numerous volatile chemicals. ...

A Protocol for Measuring Cue Reactivity in a Rat Model of Cocaine Use Disorder

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) follows a trajectory of repetitive self-administration during which previously neutral stimuli gain incentive value. Cue reactivity, the sensitivity to cues previously linked with the drug-taking experience, plays a prominent role in human craving during abstinence. Cue reactivity can be assessed as the attentional orientation toward drug-associated cues that is measurable as appetitive approach behavior in both preclinical and human studies. Herein describes an assessment of cue reactivity in rats trained to self-administer cocaine. Cocaine self-administration is paired with the presentation of discrete cues that act as conditioned reinforcers (i.e., house light, stimulus light, infusion pump sounds). Following a period of abstinence, lever presses in the cocaine self-administration context accompanied by the discrete cues previously paired with cocaine infusion are measured as cue reactivity. This model is useful to explore neurobiological mechanisms underlying cue reactivity processes as well as to assess pharmacotherapies to suppress cue reactivity and therefore, modify relapse vulnerability. Advantages of the model include its translational relevance, and its face and predictive validities.&#160;The primary limitation of the model is that the cue reactivity task can only be performed infrequently and must only be used in short duration (e.g., 1 hour), otherwise rats will begin to extinguish the pairing of the discrete cues with the cocaine stimulus. The model is extendable to any positively reinforcing stimulus paired with discrete cues; though particularly applicable to drugs of abuse, this model may hold future applications in fields such as obesity, where palatable food rewards can act as positively reinforcing stimuli.

Cue reactivity is conceptualized as sensitivity to cues linked with drug-taking experiences that contribute to craving and relapse in abstinent humans. Cue reactivity is modeled in rats by measuring attentional orientation toward drug-associated cues that results in appetitive approach behavior in a cue reactivity test following self-administration and forced abstinence.

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) follows a trajectory of repetitive self-administration during which previously neutral stimuli gain incentive value. Cue ...

A Neurosphere Assay to Evaluate Endogenous Neural Stem Cell Activation in a Mouse Model of Minimal Spinal Cord Injury

Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult mammalian spinal cord are a relatively mitotically quiescent population of periventricular cells that can be studied in vitro using the neurosphere assay. This colony-forming assay is a powerful tool to study the response of NSCs to exogenous factors in a dish; however, this can also be used to study the effect of in vivo manipulations with the proper understanding of the strengths and limitations of the assay. One manipulation of the clinical interest is the effect of injury on endogenous NSC activation. Current models of spinal cord injury provide a challenge to study this as the severity of common contusion, compression, and transection models cause the destruction of the NSC niche at the site of the injury where the stem cells reside. Here, we describe a minimal injury model that causes localized damage at the superficial dorsolateral surface of the lower thoracic level (T7/8) of the adult mouse spinal cord. This injury model spares the central canal at the level of injury and permits analysis of the NSCs that reside at the level of the lesion at various time points following injury. Here, we show how the neurosphere assay can be utilized to study the activation of the two distinct, lineally-related, populations of NSCs that reside in the spinal cord periventricular region - primitive and definitive NSCs (pNSCs and dNSCs, respectively). We demonstrate how to isolate and culture these NSCs from the periventricular region at the level of injury and the white matter injury site. Our post-surgical spinal cord dissections show increased numbers of pNSC and dNSC-derived neurospheres from the periventricular region of injured cords compared to controls, speaking to their activation via injury. Furthermore, following injury, dNSC-derived neurospheres can be isolated from the injury site &#8212; demonstrating the ability of NSCs to migrate from their periventricular niche to sites of injury.

Here, we demonstrate the performance of a minimal spinal cord injury model in an adult mouse that spares the central canal niche housing endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs). We show how the neurosphere assay can be used to quantify activation and migration of definitive and primitive NSCs following injury.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult mammalian spinal cord are a relatively mitotically quiescent population of periventricular cells that can be studied ...