This project was funded by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the Research Council of Norway, grant number 243811 and 244461 (Aquaculture program). We are grateful to Lourdes Carreon Tan at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences for maintaining the fish facility.

The animal experiments performed in this study were approved by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, following guidelines for the care and welfare of research animals.
1. Preparation of Solutions
<ol>
	<li>Calibrate the osmometer and pH meter instruments according to the manufacturer&#8217;s instructions to ensure correct measurements.</li>
	<li>Prepare 500 mL of Ca2+- and Mg2+-free Dulbecco&#8217;s phosphate-buffered saline (dPBS), adjusting the pH to 7.7...

<ol>
	<li>Freshney, R. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Culture of Animal Cells: A Manual of Basic Technique and Specialized Applications. , (2010).</li><li>Ribeiro, L. P., Ahne, W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fish+cell+culture:+initiation+of+a+line+of+pituitary+cells+from+carp+(Cyprinus+carpio)+to+study+the+release+of+gonadotropin+in+vitro.">Fish cell culture: initiation of a line of pituitary cells from carp (Cyprinus carpio) to study the release of gonadotropin in vitro.</a> In Vitro. 18 (5), 419-420 (1982).</li><li>Ribeiro, L., Ahne, W., Lichtenberg, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Primary+culture+of+normal+pituitary+cells+of+carp+(Cyprinus+carpio)+for+the+study+of+gonadotropin+release.">Primary culture of normal pituitary cells of carp (Cyprinus carpio) for the study of gonadotropin release.</a> In Vitro. 19 (1), 41-45 (1983).</li><li>Wong, A. O., Ng, S., Lee, E. K., Leung, R. C., Ho, W. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Somatostatin+inhibits+(d-Arg6,+Pro9-NEt)+salmon+gonadotropin-releasing+hormone-+and+dopamine+D1-stimulated+growth+hormone+release+from+perifused+pituitary+cells+of+chinese+grass+carp,+Ctenopharyngodon+idellus.">Somatostatin inhibits (d-Arg6, Pro9-NEt) salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone- and dopamine D1-stimulated growth hormone release from perifused pituitary cells of chinese grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus.</a> General and Comparative Endocrinology. 110 (1), 29-45 (1998).</li><li>Chang, 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=Use+of+a+pituitary+cell+dispersion+method+and+primary+culture+system+for+the+studies+of+gonadotropin-releasing+hormone+action+in+the+goldfish,+Carassius+auratus.+I.+Initial+morphological,+static,+and+cell+column+perifusion+studies.">Use of a pituitary cell dispersion method and primary culture system for the studies of gonadotropin-releasing hormone action in the goldfish, Carassius auratus. I. Initial morphological, static, and cell column perifusion studies.</a> General and Comparative Endocrinology. 77 (2), 256-273 (1990).</li><li>Weil, C., Hansen, P., Hyam, D. <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+pituitary+cells+in+primary+culture+to+study+the+secretion+in+rainbow-trout+-+Setting+up+and+validating+the+system+as+assessed+by+its+responsiveness+to+mammalian+and+salmon+gonadotropin-releasing+hormone.">Use of pituitary cells in primary culture to study the secretion in rainbow-trout - Setting up and validating the system as assessed by its responsiveness to mammalian and salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone.</a> General and Comparative Endocrinology. 62 (2), 202-209 (1986).</li><li>Montero, M., LeBelle, N., Vidal, B., Dufour, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Primary+cultures+of+dispersed+pituitary+cells+from+estradiol-pretreated+female+silver+eels+(Anguilla+anguilla+L):+Immunocytochemical+characterization+of+gonadotropic+cells+and+stimulation+of+gonadotropin+release.">Primary cultures of dispersed pituitary cells from estradiol-pretreated female silver eels (Anguilla anguilla L): Immunocytochemical characterization of gonadotropic cells and stimulation of gonadotropin release.</a> General and Comparative Endocrinology. 104 (1), 103-115 (1996).</li><li>Xu, S. H., Cooke, I. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Voltage-gated+currents+of+tilapia+prolactin+cells.">Voltage-gated currents of tilapia prolactin cells.</a> General and Comparative Endocrinology. 150 (2), 219-232 (2007).</li><li>Lin, S. W., Ge, W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Differential+regulation+of+gonadotropins+(FSH+and+LH)+and+growth+hormone+(GH)+by+neuroendocrine,+endocrine,+and+paracrine+factors+in+the+zebrafish-An+in+vitro+approach.">Differential regulation of gonadotropins (FSH and LH) and growth hormone (GH) by neuroendocrine, endocrine, and paracrine factors in the zebrafish-An in vitro approach.</a> General and Comparative Endocrinology. 160 (2), 183-193 (2009).</li><li>Hodne, K., von Krogh, K., Weltzien, F. A., Sand, O., Haug, T. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Optimized+conditions+for+primary+culture+of+pituitary+cells+from+the+Atlantic+cod+(Gadus+morhua).+The+importance+of+osmolality,+pCO2,+and+pH.">Optimized conditions for primary culture of pituitary cells from the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). The importance of osmolality, pCO2, and pH.</a> General and Comparative Endocrinology. 178 (2), 206-215 (2012).</li><li>Wittbrodt, J., Shima, A., Schartl, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Medaka+-+a+model+organism+from+the+far+East.">Medaka - a model organism from the far East.</a> Nature Reviews Genetics. 3, 53-64 (2002).</li><li>Matsuda, M., 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=DMY+is+a+Y-specific+DM-domain+gene+required+for+male+development+in+the+medaka+fish.">DMY is a Y-specific DM-domain gene required for male development in the medaka fish.</a> Nature. 417 (6888), 559-563 (2002).</li><li>Kasahara, M., 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=The+medaka+draft+genome+and+insights+into+vertebrate+genome+evolution.">The medaka draft genome and insights into vertebrate genome evolution.</a> Nature. 447 (7145), 714-719 (2007).</li><li>Miyanishi, H., Inokuchi, M., Nobata, S., Kaneko, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Past+seawater+experience+enhances+seawater+adaptability+in+medaka,+Oryzias+latipes.">Past seawater experience enhances seawater adaptability in medaka, Oryzias latipes.</a> Zoological Letters. 2 (12), (2016).</li><li>Waymouth, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Osmolality+of+mammalian+blood+and+of+media+for+culture+of+mammalian+cells.">Osmolality of mammalian blood and of media for culture of mammalian cells.</a> In Vitro. 6 (2), 109-127 (1970).</li><li>Cameron, J. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Acid-base+homeostasis+-+past+and+present+perspectives.">Acid-base homeostasis - past and present perspectives.</a> Physiological Zoology. 62 (4), 845-865 (1989).</li><li>Claiborne, J. B., Edwards, S. L., Morrison-Shetlar, A. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Acid-base+regulation+in+fishes:+cellular+and+molecular+mechanisms.">Acid-base regulation in fishes: cellular and molecular mechanisms.</a> Journal of Experimental Zoology. 293 (3), 302-319 (2002).</li><li>Perry, S. F., Tufts, B. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Fish respiration. , (1998).</li><li>Hildahl, 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=Developmental+tracing+of+luteinizing+hormone+&#946;-subunit+gene+expression+using+green+fluorescent+protein+transgenic+medaka+(Oryzias+latipes)+reveals+a+putative+novel+developmental+function.">Developmental tracing of luteinizing hormone &#946;-subunit gene expression using green fluorescent protein transgenic medaka (Oryzias latipes) reveals a putative novel developmental function.</a> Developmental Dynamics. 241 (11), 1665-1677 (2012).</li><li>Strandab&#248;, R. A. U., 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=Signal+transduction+involved+in+GnRH2-stimulation+of+identified+LH-producing+gonadotropes+from+lhb-GFP+transgenic+medaka+(Oryzias+latipes).">Signal transduction involved in GnRH2-stimulation of identified LH-producing gonadotropes from lhb-GFP transgenic medaka (Oryzias latipes).</a> Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 372 (1-2), 128-139 (2013).</li><li>Verbalis, J. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Brain+volume+regulation+in+response+to+changes+in+osmolality.">Brain volume regulation in response to changes in osmolality.</a> Neuroscience. 168 (4), 862-870 (2010).</li></ol>

In vitro cell culture systems provide powerful tools for researchers to answer a plethora of different biological questions if used in the right way1. It is important to remember that dissociated cells that have lost their connections to the neighboring cells may have obtained different functional properties than they originally had in vivo. To avoid being at the risk of misinterpreting the results obtained from in vitro experiments, it is important to consider adjusting...

Cell culture is one of the main tools used in molecular biological research, providing an excellent model system for answering different biological questions ranging from normal cellular physiology to drug screening and carcinogenesis1. Primary cells, isolated directly from the animal tissue using enzymatic and/or mechanical methods,are often considered more biologically relevant than cell lines as the biological response may be closer to the in vivo situation. Protocols for preparing primary cell cultures should be optimized for each species and cell type of interest in order to mimic the characteristics to which a cell is adapted and obtain physiologically meaningful results.
Numerous protocols describe culture conditions for mammalian cell systems, while similar protocols describing primary culture conditions for fish cells are rather scarce in comparison. Cells are vulnerable to rapid changes in temperature, pH, and osmolality, and are particularly fragile during the dissociation procedure. Commercial salt solutions and culture media used for mammalian cell cultures are not optimal for teleost fish, especially in terms of pH buffer system(s) and osmolality. It is, therefore, important to measure and adjust the solutions to physiologically relevant levels of these parameters in the species of interest.
Primary pituitary cultures have been made from several teleost fish species, including common carp (Cyprinus carpio)2,3, grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)4, goldfish (Carassius auratus)5, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)6, European eel (Anguilla anguilla)7, tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)8, zebrafish (Danio rerio)9, and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)10. Apart from adjusting the incubation temperature to the species of interest, several of these protocols have incubated the cells at mammalian-like conditions that may be suboptimal for the species of interest, with a pH from 7.2 to 7.5 in a humidified atmosphere containing 3 - 5% CO2. In addition, it is unclear if the osmolality of solutions used for preparing several of these primary cell cultures were adjusted and stable between different solutions.
The current protocol is based on previous work with primary cultures from Atlantic cod10 and comprises adjustments of incubation temperature, osmolality, pH, and pH buffer systems, including the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), to the physiology of medaka (O. latipes). Medaka is a small (3&#8211;4 cm) freshwater fish, native to East Asia. These days, it is used as a model species in many research laboratories around the world, as it is relatively easy to breed and highly resistant to many common fish diseases11. There are several advantages of using medaka as a model, including a temperature tolerance from 4&#8211;40 &#176;C11, a short generation time, transparent embryos, a sex-determining gene12, and a sequenced genome13, as well as many other available genetic resources.
The primary culture conditions in this protocol are optimized to match the temperature of 26 &#176;C that medakas are kept at in the fish facility. Further, the osmolality is reduced from 320 mOsm/kg from Atlantic cod living in salt water to 290 mOsm/kg for medaka living in fresh water and is in accordance with the normal osmolality of medaka plasma14. In comparison, the typical osmolality of mammalian plasma is in the range of 275&#8211;295 mOsm15. Fish lives in a variety of temperatures and have gills that are in direct contact with water, making the pH and buffer capacity of the blood and extracellular fluid in fish different from those in mammals. Mammalian culture media usually include buffer systems that result in a pH of around 7.4 when the media are equilibrated to a standard atmosphere of 5% CO2 in humidified air at 37 &#176;C. The pH is temperature dependent and the value for neutral pH (in water) increases with a decreasing temperature16. Typical teleost fish plasma pH ranges from 7.7 to 7.917. The optimization of this protocol included a reduction from pH 7.85 for cod kept at 12 &#176;C to pH 7.75 for medaka kept at 26 &#176;C by increasing the CO2 from 0.5% to 1%.
In addition, the bicarbonate buffer capacity is quite different in fish and mammals. CO2 is easily exchanged over the gills in fish and the pCO2 in water is only a small fraction of the pCO2 in the lung18. Changing either the temperature or the pCO2 will change the pH and buffer of the medium. Consequently, neither the pH nor the pCO2 recommended for incubating mammalian cells is optimal for fish cells, and therefore, the culture media should be optimized with buffer systems containing physiologically relevant values for fish and the particular species of interest. This protocol describes how to prepare primary cell cultures from medaka pituitaries and include adjustments of the incubation temperature, osmolality, pH, and pH buffer system, in addition to other important parameters to consider when preparing primary cell cultures from non-mammalian species.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#8217;s Phosphate Buffered Saline (dPBS), without calcium chloride and magnesium chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma (Merck, Damstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td>D8537</td>
			<td>Adjust solution to pH 7.75 with 1M NaOH and 290 mOsm with mannitol.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L-15 medium (Leibovitz), witout L-glutamine</td>
			<td>Sigma (Merck, Damstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td>L5520</td>
			<td>Supplement 500 ml culture medium with 10mM NaHCO3, 4.5 mM glucose, 2 mM Glutamax. Adjust solution to 290 mOsm with mannitol and filter solution through a 0.2 &#181;m PES sterile filter, before adding 2.5 ml Penicillin-Streptomycin solution (see below for details).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaOH</td>
			<td>Sigma (Merck, Damstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td>S5881</td>
			<td>Add drops of 1M solution to increase pH of dPBS and culture medium to 7.75.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaHCO3</td>
			<td>Sigma (Merck, Damstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td>S5761</td>
			<td>10 mM NaHCO3 equals 420 mg per 500 ml culture medium.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>D-mannitol</td>
			<td>Sigma (Merck, Damstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td>63565</td>
			<td>Use to increase osmolality of dPBS and culture medium. Calculate correct amount needed to reach an osmolality of 290 mOsm.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>D-glucose</td>
			<td>Sigma (Merck, Damstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td>G5400</td>
			<td>4.5 mM&#160; D-glucose equals 405 mg per 500 ml culture medium.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GlutaMAX Supplement</td>
			<td>Gibco (Life Technologies, Paisley, UK)</td>
			<td>35050-061</td>
			<td>Alternative to L-glutamine, with increased stability. 2 mM Glutamax equals 5 ml of 100X stock in 500 ml culture medium.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin-Streptomycin</td>
			<td>Sigma (Merck, Damstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td>P0781</td>
			<td>Stock solution 10,000 units penicillin and 10 mg streptomycin per mL. Use 2.5 ml of stock solution in 500 ml L-15 medium (equivalent of 50 U/ml Penicillin and 50 &#181;g/ml Streptomycin).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin type II-S</td>
			<td>Sigma (Merck, Damstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td>T7409</td>
			<td>Prepare 1 mg/ml in dPBS solution.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin inhibitor type I-S</td>
			<td>Sigma (Merck, Damstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td>T6522</td>
			<td>Prepare 1 mg/ml in dPBS solution, supplement with 2 &#181;g/ml Dnase I (see details below).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dnase I</td>
			<td>Sigma (Merck, Damstadt, Germany)</td>
			<td>D5025</td>
			<td>Use in trypsin inhibitor solution (see above).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.2 &#181;m Polyethersulfone (PES) sterile filter system</td>
			<td>Corning Inc. (Corning, NY)</td>
			<td>431097</td>
			<td>Use for sterile filtration of dPBS and L-15 medium after adjustments.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>35 mm cell culture dish with glass bottom, poly d-lysine coated</td>
			<td>MatTek Corporation (Ashland, MA)</td>
			<td>P35GC-1.5-10-C</td>
			<td>Can also be replaced by plastic dish, depending on downstream application.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dumont #5 fine forceps</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools (CA)</td>
			<td>11254-20</td>
			<td>Straigt tip</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dumont #5/45 fine forceps</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools (CA)</td>
			<td>11253-25</td>
			<td>Angled 45&#176; tip</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stereo microscope SZ61</td>
			<td>Olympus Corp. (Tokyo, Japan)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Use for dissection of pituitaries.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Alegra X-22R Centrufuge</td>
			<td>Beckman Coulter Inc. (Brea, CA)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>With cooling option (similar to current model XR-30).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Water bath</td>
			<td>Techne (Staffordshire, UK)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Any water bath with the possibility of adjusting temperature will do.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pasteur glass pipettes</td>
			<td>VWR (NY)</td>
			<td>612-1701</td>
			<td>Outer diameter 1.6 mm, fire polish and autoclave before use.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Galaxy MiniStar table centrifuge</td>
			<td>VWR (NY)</td>
			<td>521-2844</td>
			<td>Any small table centrigue will do.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fine needles / insect pins</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools (CA)</td>
			<td>26001-40</td>
			<td>Diameter 0.03 mm. Other fine needles can be used instead.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Wax plate</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Custom made by adding melted paraffin wax in large petri dish.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

preparation of a high-quality primary cell culture from fish pituitaries

Primary cell culture is a powerful tool commonly used by scientists to study cellular properties and mechanisms of isolated cells in a controlled environment. Despite vast differences in the physiology between mammals and fish, primary cell culture protocols from fish are often based on mammalian culture conditions, often with only minor modifications. The environmental differences affect not only body temperature, but also blood serum parameters such as osmolality, pH, and pH buffer capacity. As cell culture media and similar working solutions are meant to mimic characteristics of the extracellular fluid and/or blood serum to which a cell is adapted, it is crucial that these parameters are adjusted specifically to the animal in question.
The current protocol describes optimized primary culture conditions for medaka (Oryzias latipes). The protocol provides detailed steps on how to isolate and maintain healthy dissociated pituitary cells for more than one week and includes the following steps: 1. the adjustment of the osmolality to the values found in medaka blood plasma, 2. the adjustment of the incubation temperature to normal medaka temperature (here in the aquarium facility), and 3. the adjustment of the pH and bicarbonate buffer to values comparable to other fish species living at similar temperatures. The results presented using the described protocol promote physiologically meaningful results for medaka and can be used as a reference guide by scientists making primary cell cultures from other non-mammalian species.

This protocol describes the preparation of a primary cell culture from medaka pituitaries and provides healthy cells that can be maintained in a culture for at least one week. The protocol is based on physiological relevant values for medaka14 and is additionally optimized to the pituitary tissue in adult fish, using a pH of 7.75 and an osmolality of 290 mOsm/kg during the entire procedure from the tissue harvesting to the plated cells in culture (<strong class="xf...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Preparation of a High-quality Primary Cell Culture from Fish Pituitaries at JoVE.com

Preparation of a High-quality Primary Cell Culture from Fish Pituitaries

Here we describe a protocol to prepare and maintain primary pituitary cell cultures from medaka (Oryzias latipes). The optimized conditions in this protocol take important parameters such as temperature, osmolality, and pH into consideration by mimicking the physiological conditions of the fish, thereby enabling physiologically more meaningful results.

Primary cell culture is a powerful tool commonly used by scientists to study cellular properties and mechanisms of isolated cells in a controlled ...

This method can help answer key questions in the field of endocrinology regarding how pituitary cells function and interact in a controlled environment. The main advantages of this technique are that it promotes physiologically meaningful results for medaka and provides a reference guide for making primary cell cultures from other species. Begin by securing the head of the medaka to the wax plate with one fine needle inserted over the mouth and one on each side of the head behind the brain.Place the fish under a dissection microscope and use fine forceps with an angled tip to gently scrape the scales from the top of the head. Carefully insert the forceps under the skin of the side of the head and slowly move the forceps towards the mouth to remove the skull roof. Cut the spinal cord completely off with the forceps and carefully flip the brain over toward the mouth to expose the pituitary.Harvest the gland with clean forceps with a straight tip into a plastic tube containing 1.5 milliliters of modified DPBS on ice. When all of the pituitaries have been collected, spin down the tissues with a microcentrifuge for one to two seconds at room temperature and use a glass pipette to carefully remove the DPBS taking care not to disturb the pituitary pellet. Wash the tissue with one milliliter of trypsin solution for another one to two seconds in the microcentrifuge and use the glass pipette to aspirate most of the supernatant.When all of the trypsin has been removed, add another milliliter of trypsin to the sample and incubate the tissue in a 26 degrees Celsius water bath for 30 minutes with occasional gentle flicking. At the end of the incubation, centrifuge the pituitaries for one to two seconds and use a glass pipette to remove most of the trypsin without disturbing the tissue. Then, wash the sample with one milliliter of trypsin inhibitor solution to inactivate the trypsin and centrifuge for one to two seconds.After removing the supernatant, add another milliliter of trypsin inhibitor solution to the tube and incubate the sample in a 26 degree Celsius water bath for 20 minutes with flicking. While the tissue is incubating, add two milliliters of L-15 medium to a 35 millimeter poly-D-lysine coded cell culture dish with a central glass bottom and equilibrate the plate at 26 degrees Celsius and 1%carbon dioxide for at least 10 minutes. At the end of the incubation, centrifuge the pituitaries for one to two seconds and carefully aspirate all of the trypsin inhibitor solution from the tube.In a laminar flow hood, add one milliliter of ice cold modified DPBS to the pituitary tissue pieces and use a fire-polished glass pipette to gently triturate the tissues six to seven times on ice taking care to avoid bubbles. After another one to two seconds centrifugation, gently transfer about one milliliter of the dissociated cell containing upper layer of DPBS into a new 15 milliliter tube on ice. Repeat the trituration and dissociated cell collection nine more times until all 10 milliliters of the DPBS has been used starting with the pipette tip with a medium sized opening and switching to a pipette tip with the smaller opening for the last three to four milliliter of DPBS.The mechanical dissociation with a glass pipette is a critical step of this protocol and requires some training to achieve a good result. Pipette the cell solution gently to avoid damaging the fragile dissociated cells. After the 10th trituration, mark the side of each tube where the pellet will be and spin down the sample in a pre-cooled centrifuge.At the end of the centrifugation, carefully remove the tube from the centrifuge and use a glass pipette to immediately but gently transfer the supernatant into a plastic 15 milliliter tube taking care to remove most of the supernatant without disturbing the small, frequently invisible pellet, then carefully resuspend the pellet in 50 to 100 microliters of L-15 culture medium. Carefully drip the dissociated cells into the middle of the previously prepared cell culture dish and allow the cells to sink to the bottom of the dish for approximately five minutes before moving the dish to the incubator to avoid having the cells spread outside of the sunken area of the glass bottom. After 30 minutes at 26 degrees Celsius and 1%carbon dioxide, check the cells by light microscopy to confirm that they have attached to the bottom of the dish and return the dissociated pituitary cell culture to the incubator for no more than seven days.Harvesting around 10 adult medaka pituitaries usually results in a density of around 50, 000 to 100, 000 cells per dish after seeding. The number of dying cells is nearly constant over time with over 95%of the cells viable after one day and over 90%still alive after three days with a small decline in viability observed at one week of culture. Electrophysiological recordings of GFP expressing luteinizing hormone gonadotrope cells demonstrate that the dissociated pituitary cells are able to fire action potentials spontaneously after four days in culture.Further, upon stimulation of the gonadotropin releasing hormone, an initial transient hyperpolarization of the cell membrane is followed by a dramatic increase in firing frequency that is concomitant with the depolarization and increased duration of the action potentials. While attempting this procedure, it's important to remember to work in a precise and efficient manner to maintain the pituitary cells in a healthy state. Following this procedure, other methods like qPCR or advanced imaging techniques can be performed to answer additional questions regarding how specific treatments may alter pituitary cell physiology.

preparation-high-quality-primary-cell-culture-from-fish

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

14.9K Views.  Norwegian University of Life Sciences. This method can help answer key questions in the field of endocrinology regarding how pituitary cells function and interact in a controlled environment. The main advantages of this technique are that it promotes physiologically meaningful results for medaka and provides a reference guide for making primary cell cultures from other species. Begin by securing the head of the medaka to the wax plate with one fine needle inserted over the mouth and one on each side of the head behind the brain.

Video: Preparation of a High-quality Primary Cell Culture from Fish Pituitaries

Here we describe a protocol to prepare and maintain primary pituitary cell cultures from medaka (Oryzias latipes). The optimized conditions in this protocol take important parameters such as temperature, osmolality, and pH into consideration by mimicking the physiological conditions of the fish, thereby enabling physiologically more meaningful...

preparation of high-quality fermented fish product

Preparation of High-Quality Fermented Fish Product

The goal of the protocol is to provide an industrialized fish fermentation technique based on inoculation of Saccharomyces...

single-cell suspension preparation from nile tilapia intestine for single-cell sequencing

Single-Cell Suspension Preparation from Nile Tilapia Intestine for Single-Cell Sequencing

Here, we demonstrate the preparation of a high-quality single-cell suspension of tilapia intestine for single-cell...

establishing a primary dorsal root ganglia cell culture from a rat spinal column

This video demonstrates a technique for isolating and culturing dorsal root ganglia (DRG) cells from the rat spinal column. DRGs excised from the spinal column are treated with enzymes and mechanically dissociated to obtain a single-cell suspension. The cells are cultured in a medium containing inhibitors and growth factors that limit glial cell proliferation and promote neuronal growth,...

Establishing a Primary Dorsal Root Ganglia Cell Culture from a Rat Spinal Column

Identify the lumbar DRG by counting vertebrae from the last rib. This diagram shows the vertebrae positions. Use micro-scissors to collect the 12 bilateral lumbar DRG from L1 to L6. Remove any attached neuronal fibers to improve the purity of the culture. Transfer each lumbar DRG to a 35-millimeter culture dish containing 2 milliliters of ice-cold serum-free...

generating a primary culture of astrocytes from a rat pup brain

The video demonstrates a technique for culturing primary astrocytes from the rat cortex. The cortex is mechanically dissociated to obtain a homogeneous glial cell suspension, which is then plated on polypeptide-coated plates to promote selective proliferation of astrocytes. Subsequently, the astrocytes are enzymatically dissociated from the plates and transferred to fresh media, allowing the culture of pure...

Generating a Primary Culture of Astrocytes from a Rat Pup Brain

three-dimensional acoustic assembly device for mass manufacturing of cell spheroids

Author Spotlight: Development of a Scaffold-Free Acoustic Assembly Method for High-Quality 3D Cell Spheroid Culture 

Cell spheroids have been considered one potential model in the field of biological applications. This article describes protocols for scalably generating cell spheroids using a 3D acoustic assembly device, which provides an efficient method for the robust and rapid fabrication of uniform cell...

Scalable Generation of Uniform Cell Spheroids Using a 3D Acoustic Assembly Device

https://cloudfront.jove.com/CDNSource/teasers/66078_b.jpg

preparation of primary myogenic precursor cell/myoblast cultures from basal vertebrate lineages

Preparation of Primary Myogenic Precursor Cell/Myoblast Cultures from Basal Vertebrate Lineages

In vitro culture systems have proven indispensible to our understanding of vertebrate myogenesis. However, much remains to be learned about nonmammalian skeletal muscle development and growth, particularly in basal taxa. An efficient and robust protocol for isolating the adult stem cells of this tissue, the myogenic precursor cells (MPCs), and maintaining their self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation in a primary culture setting allows for the identification of conserved and divergent...

the preparation of primary hematopoietic cell cultures from murine bone marrow for electroporation

The Preparation of Primary Hematopoietic Cell Cultures From Murine Bone Marrow for Electroporation

This procedure describes how to establish primary hematopoietic cell cultures from murine bone marrow and is followed by transfection using the Gene Pulser MXCell electroporation...

obtaining high quality rna from single cell populations in human postmortem brain tissue

Obtaining High Quality RNA from Single Cell Populations in Human Postmortem Brain Tissue

We describe a process using laser-capture microdissection to isolate and extract RNA from a homogeneous cell population, pyramidal neurons, in layer III of the superior temporal gyrus in postmortem human brains. We subsequently linearly amplify (T7-based) mRNA, and hybridize the sample to the Affymetrix human X3P microarray.

Centrifuge once again and resuspend the pellet in two milliliters of complete DMEM, supplemented with 10% FBS and antibiotics. After transferring the homogenate to a two-milliliter tube, pass the homogenate through 21- and 23-gauge needles to make a suspension of single cells. Pour the cell suspension prepared from one cortex into a 60-millimeter Petri dish containing three milliliters of complete DMEM, and lightly shake the Petri dish so that the suspension is uniformly distributed. Incubate...

primary endodermal epithelial cell culture from the yolk sac membrane of japanese quail embryos

Primary Endodermal Epithelial Cell Culture from the Yolk Sac Membrane of Japanese Quail Embryos

To study the mechanism of lipid utilization in yolk sac membranes during the late stages of avian embryonic development, we established a primary Japanese quail embryonic endodermal epithelial cell culture...

optimizing mouse primary lens epithelial cell culture: a comprehensive guide to trypsinization

Author Spotlight: Unlocking the Secrets of Cataracts &amp;#8211; Investigating Redox Repair Enzymes in Lens Epithelial Cells

This manuscript outlines a detailed video protocol for culturing primary lens epithelial cells (LECs), aiming to improve reproducibility and aid research in cataracts and posterior capsule opacification (PCO). It offers step-by-step instructions on lens dissection, LECs isolation, and validation, serving as a valuable guide, especially for newcomers in the...

Optimizing Mouse Primary Lens Epithelial Cell Culture: A Comprehensive Guide to Trypsinization

a streamlined and standardized procedure for generating high-titer, high-quality adeno-associated virus vectors utilizing a cell factory platform

Author Spotlight: Advancing Gene Therapy Research with High-Titer Adeno-Associated Virus Vector Production

As the field of gene therapy continues to evolve, there is a growing need for innovative methods that can address these challenges. Here, a unique method is presented, which streamlines the process of generating high-yield and high-purity AAV vectors using a cell factory platform, meeting the quality standards for in vivo...

A Streamlined and Standardized Procedure for Generating High-Titer, High-Quality Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors Utilizing a Cell Factory Platform

isolation and culture of primary schwann cells from a human dermis

This video demonstrates a protocol for isolating and culturing Schwann cells from human dermis tissues. The human dermis contains various cell types, including fibroblasts and Schwann cells. After isolation, the cells are treated with an antimitotic agent to eliminate proliferating fibroblasts, resulting in a pure culture of Schwann...

Isolation and Culture of Primary Schwann Cells from a Human Dermis

preparation and culture of myogenic precursor cells/primary myoblasts from skeletal muscle of adult and aged humans

Preparation and Culture of Myogenic Precursor Cells/Primary Myoblasts from Skeletal Muscle of Adult and Aged Humans

This protocol describes a robust, reproducible and simple method of isolation and culture of myoblast progenitor cells from the skeletal muscle of adult and aged people. The muscles used here include foot and leg muscles. This approach enables the isolation of an enriched population of primary myoblasts for functional...

primary culture of neurons isolated from embryonic mouse cerebellum

Primary Culture of Neurons Isolated from Embryonic Mouse Cerebellum

Conducting in vitro experiments to reflect in vivo conditions as adequately as possible is not an easy task. The use of primary cell cultures is an important step toward understanding cell biology in a whole organism. The provided protocol outlines how to successfully grow and culture embryonic mouse cerebellar...

Digest the minced dermis with 5 milliliters of collagenase at 37 degrees Celsius for 2 and 1/2 hours, with gentle trituration using a pipette tip every 30 minutes until the dermis dissociates completely. Once digested, filter the cell suspension with a 70-micrometer cell strainer, followed by dilution of the filtered cell suspension with 5 milliliters of complete DMEM medium to stop the enzymatic activity of...

primary culture of hippocampal neurons from p0 newborn rats

Primary Culture of Hippocampal Neurons from P0 Newborn Rats

The dissection and growth of cells from an individual brain area facilitates investigation of cellular and physiological parameters. We describe a method for primary cell culturing that produces neuron-enriched cultures in a serum-free...

Isolation and Culture of Neural Crest Cells from Embryonic Murine Neural Tube

The embryonic neural crest (NC) is a multipotent progenitor population that originates at the dorsal aspect of the neural tube, undergoes an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migrates throughout the embryo, giving rise to diverse cell types 1-3. NC also has the unique ability to influence the differentiation and maturation of target organs4-6. When explanted in vitro, NC progenitors undergo self-renewal, migrate and differentiate into a variety of tissue types including neurons, glia, smooth muscle cells, cartilage and bone. 
NC multipotency was first described from explants of the avian neural tube7-9. In vitro isolation of NC cells facilitates the study of NC dynamics including proliferation, migration, and multipotency. Further work in the avian and rat systems demonstrated that explanted NC cells retain their NC potential when transplanted back into the embryo10-13. Because these inherent cellular properties are preserved in explanted NC progenitors, the neural tube explant assay provides an attractive option for studying the NC in vitro. 
To attain a better understanding of the mammalian NC, many methods have been employed to isolate NC populations. NC-derived progenitors can be cultured from post-migratory locations in both the embryo and adult to study the dynamics of post-migratory NC progenitors11,14-20, however isolation of NC progenitors as they emigrate from the neural tube provides optimal preservation of NC cell potential and migratory properties13,21,22. Some protocols employ fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to isolate a NC population enriched for particular progenitors11,13,14,17. However, when starting with early stage embryos, cell numbers adequate for analyses are difficult to obtain with FACS, complicating the isolation of early NC populations from individual embryos. Here, we describe an approach that does not rely on FACS and results in an approximately 96% pure NC population based on a Wnt1-Cre activated lineage reporter23. 
The method presented here is adapted from protocols optimized for the culture of rat NC11,13. The advantages of this protocol compared to previous methods are that 1) the cells are not grown on a feeder layer, 2) FACS is not required to obtain a relatively pure NC population, 3) premigratory NC cells are isolated and 4) results are easily quantified. Furthermore, this protocol can be used for isolation of NC from any mutant mouse model, facilitating the study of NC characteristics with different genetic manipulations. The limitation of this approach is that the NC is removed from the context of the embryo, which is known to influence the survival, migration and differentiation of the NC2,24-28.

Isolation of embryonic neural crest from the neural tube facilitates the use of in vitro methods for studying migration, self-renewal, and multipotency of neural crest.

The embryonic neural crest (NC) is a multipotent progenitor population that originates at the dorsal aspect of the neural tube, undergoes an epithelial to ...

Primary Culture of Mouse Dopaminergic Neurons

Dopaminergic neurons represent less than 1% of the total number of neurons in the brain. This low amount of neurons regulates important brain functions such as motor control, motivation, and working memory. Nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons selectively degenerate in Parkinson&#39;s disease (PD). This progressive neuronal loss is unequivocally associated with the motors symptoms of the pathology (bradykinesia, resting tremor, and muscular rigidity). The main agent responsible of dopaminergic neuron degeneration is still unknown. However, these neurons appear to be extremely vulnerable in diverse conditions. Primary cultures constitute one of the most relevant models to investigate properties and characteristics of dopaminergic neurons. These cultures can be submitted to various stress agents that mimic PD pathology and to neuroprotective compounds in order to stop or slow down neuronal degeneration. The numerous transgenic mouse models of PD that have been generated during the last decade further increased the interest of researchers for dopaminergic neuron cultures. Here, the video protocol focuses on the delicate dissection of embryonic mouse brains. Precise excision of ventral mesencephalon is crucial to obtain neuronal cultures sufficiently rich in dopaminergic cells to allow subsequent studies. This protocol can be realized with embryonic transgenic mice and is suitable for immunofluorescence staining, quantitative PCR, second messenger quantification, or neuronal death/survival assessment.

Dopaminergic neurons play a vital regulatory role in the brain. Their loss is associated with Parkinson's disease. In this video, we show how to generate primary cultures of central dopaminergic neurons from embryonic mouse mesencephalon. Such cultures are useful to study the extreme vulnerability of these neurons to various stresses.

Dopaminergic neurons represent less than 1% of the total number of neurons in the brain. This low amount of neurons regulates important brain functions ...

Acquisition of High-Quality Digital Video of Drosophila Larval and Adult Behaviors from a Lateral Perspective

Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful experimental model system for studying the function of the nervous system. Gene mutations that cause dysfunction of the nervous system often produce viable larvae and adults that have locomotion defective phenotypes that are difficult to adequately describe with text or completely represent with a single photographic image. Current modes of scientific publishing, however, support the submission of digital video media as supplemental material to accompany a manuscript. Here we describe a simple and widely accessible microscopy technique for acquiring high-quality digital video of both Drosophila larval and adult phenotypes from a lateral perspective. Video of larval and adult locomotion from a side-view is advantageous because it allows the observation and analysis of subtle distinctions and variations in aberrant locomotive behaviors. We have successfully used the technique to visualize and quantify aberrant crawling behaviors in third instar larvae, in addition to adult mutant phenotypes and behaviors including grooming.

Acquisition of High-Quality Digital Video of Drosophila Larval and Adult Behaviors from a Lateral Perspective

Here we describe a simple and widely accessible microscopy technique to acquire high-quality digital video of Drosophila adult and larval mutant phenotypes from a lateral perspective.

Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful experimental model system for studying the function of the nervous system. Gene mutations that cause dysfunction of ...

Preparation of Primary Mixed Glial Cultures from Adult Mouse Spinal Cord Tissue

It has been well-accepted that spinal cord glial responses contribute significantly to the development of neuropathic pain. Tremendous information regarding glial activities at the cellular and molecular levels has been obtained through in vitro cell culture systems. The in vitro systems utilized, mainly include primary glia derived from neonatal brain cortical tissue and immortalized cell lines. However, these systems may not reflect the characteristics of spinal cord glial cells in vivo. In order to further investigate the roles of spinal cord glial cells in the development of peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain using a culture system that better reflects the in vivo condition, our laboratory has developed a method to establish primary spinal cord mixed glial cultures from adult mice. Briefly, spinal cords are collected from adult mice and processed through papain digestion followed by myelin removal with a density-gradient medium. Single cell suspensions are cultured in complete Dulbecco&#39;s modified Eagle media (cDMEM) supplemented with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) at 35.9 oC. These culture conditions were optimized specifically for the growth of mixed glial cells. Under these conditions, cells are ready to be used for experimentation between 12 - 14 d&#160;(cells are usually in log phase during this time) after the establishment of the culture (D 0) and can be kept in culture conditions up to D 21. This culture system can be used to investigate the responses of spinal cord glial cells upon stimulation with various substances and agents. Besides neuropathic pain, this system can be used to study glial responses in other diseases that involve pathological changes of spinal cord glial cells.

The development of neuropathic pain involves pathological changes of spinal cord glial cells. A reliable glial culture system derived from adult spinal cord tissue and designed for studying these cells in vitro is lacking. Therefore, we show here how&#160;to establish primary mixed glial cultures from adult mouse spinal cord tissue.

It has been well-accepted that spinal cord glial responses contribute significantly to the development of neuropathic pain. Tremendous information ...

Simple Generation of a High Yield Culture of Induced Neurons from Human Adult Skin Fibroblasts

Induced neurons (iNs), the product of somatic cells directly converted to neurons, are a way to obtain patient-derived neurons from tissue that is easily accessible. Through this route, mature neurons can be obtained in a matter of a few weeks. Here, we describe a straightforward and rapid one-step protocol to obtain iNs from dermal fibroblasts obtained through biopsy samples from adult human donors. We explain each step of the process, including the maintenance of the dermal fibroblasts, the freezing procedure to build a stock of the cell line, seeding of the cells for reprogramming, as well as the culture conditions during the conversion process. In addition, we describe the preparation of glass coverslips for electrophysiological recordings, long-term coating conditions, and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). We also illustrate examples of the results to be expected. The protocol described here is easy to perform and can be applied to human fibroblasts derived from human skin biopsies from patients with various different diagnoses and ages. This protocol generates a sufficient amount of iNs which can be used for a wide array of biomedical applications, including disease modeling, drug screening, and target validation.

Direct neuronal reprogramming generates neurons that maintain the age of the starting somatic cell. Here, we describe a single vector-based method to generate induced neurons from dermal fibroblasts obtained from adult human donors.

Induced neurons (iNs), the product of somatic cells directly converted to neurons, are a way to obtain patient-derived neurons from tissue that is easily ...

A Stainless Protocol for High Quality RNA Isolation from Laser Capture Microdissected Purkinje Cells in the Human Post-Mortem Cerebellum

Laser capture microdissection (LCM) is an advantageous tool that allows for the collection of cytologically and/or phenotypically relevant cells or regions from heterogenous tissues. Captured product can be used in a variety of molecular methods for protein, DNA or RNA isolation. However, preservation of RNA from postmortem human brain tissue is especially challenging. Standard visualization techniques for LCM require histologic or immunohistochemical staining procedures that can further degrade RNA. Therefore, we designed a stainless protocol for visualization in LCM with the intended purpose of preserving RNA integrity in post-mortem human brain tissue. The Purkinje cell of the cerebellum is a good candidate for stainless visualization, due to its size and characteristic location. The cerebellar cortex has distinct layers that differ in cell density, making them a good archetype to identify under high magnification microscopy. Purkinje cells are large neurons situated between the granule cell layer, which is a densely cellular network of small neurons, and the molecular layer, which is sparse in cell bodies. Because of this architecture, the use of stainless visualization is feasible. Other organ or cell systems that mimic this phenotype would also be suitable. The stainless protocol is designed to fix fresh-frozen tissue with ethanol and remove lipids with xylene for improved morphological visualization under high magnification light microscopy. This protocol does not account for other fixation methods and is specifically designed for fresh-frozen tissue samples captured using an ultraviolet (UV)-LCM system. Here, we present a full protocol for sectioning and fixing fresh frozen post-mortem human cerebellar tissue and purification of RNA from Purkinje cells isolated by UV-LCM, while preserving RNA quality for subsequent RNA-sequencing. In our hands, this protocol produces exceptional levels of cellular visualization without the need for staining reagents and yields RNA with high RNA integrity numbers (&#8805;8) as needed for transcriptional profiling experiments.

This protocol uses a stain-free approach to visualize and isolate Purkinje cells in fresh-frozen tissue from human post-mortem cerebellum via laser capture microdissection. The purpose of this protocol is to generate sufficient amounts of high-quality RNA for RNA-sequencing.

Laser capture microdissection (LCM) is an advantageous tool that allows for the collection of cytologically and/or phenotypically relevant cells or ...

Primary Cell Culture of Purified GABAergic or Glutamatergic Neurons Established through Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting

The overall goal of this protocol is to generate purified neuronal cultures derived from either GABAergic or glutamatergic neurons. Purified neurons can be cultured in defined media for 16 days in vitro and are amenable to any analyses typically performed on dissociated cultures, including electrophysiological, morphological and survival analyses. The major advantage of these cultures is that specific cell types can be selectively studied in the absence of complex external influences, such as those arising from glial cells or other neuron types. When planning experiments with purified cells, however, it is important to note that neurons strongly depend on glia-conditioned media for their growth and survival. In addition, glutamatergic neurons further depend on glia-secreted factors for the establishment of synaptic transmission. We therefore also describe a method for co-culturing neurons and glial cells in a non-contact arrangement. Using these methods, we have identified major differences between the development of GABAergic and glutamatergic neuronal networks. Thus, studying cultures of purified neurons has great potential for furthering our understanding of how the nervous system develops and functions. Moreover, purified cultures may be useful for investigating the direct action of pharmacological agents, growth factors or for exploring the consequences of genetic manipulations on specific cell types. As more and more transgenic animals become available, labeling additional specific cell types of interest, we expect that the protocols described here will grow in their applicability and potential.

This protocol describes a cell sorting based method for the purification and culture of fluorescent GABAergic or glutamatergic neurons from the neocortex and hippocampus of postnatal mice or rats.

The overall goal of this protocol is to generate purified neuronal cultures derived from either GABAergic or glutamatergic neurons. Purified neurons can ...

The use of primary cell cultures has become one of the major tools to study the nervous system in vitro. The ultimate goal of using this simplified model system is to provide a controlled microenvironment and maintain the high survival rate and the natural features of dissociated neuronal and nonneuronal cells as much as possible under in vitro conditions. In this article, we demonstrate a method of isolating primary neurons from the developing mouse cerebellum, placing them in an in vitro environment, establishing their growth, and monitoring their viability and differentiation for several weeks. This method is applicable to embryonic neurons dissociated from cerebellum between embryonic days 12&ndash;18.

Conducting in vitro experiments to reflect in vivo conditions as adequately as possible is not an easy task. The use of primary cell cultures is an important step toward understanding cell biology in a whole organism. The provided protocol outlines how to successfully grow and culture embryonic mouse cerebellar neurons.

The use of primary cell cultures has become one of the major tools to study the nervous system in vitro. The ultimate goal of using this simplified model ...

Ballistic Labeling of Pyramidal Neurons in Brain Slices and in Primary Cell Culture

It has been reported that the size and shape of dendritic spines is related to their structural plasticity. To identify the morphological structure of pyramidal neurons and dendritic spines, a ballistic labeling technique can be utilized. In the present protocol, pyramidal neurons are labeled with DilC18(3) dye and analyzed using neuronal reconstruction software to assess neuronal morphology and dendritic spines. To investigate neuronal structure, dendritic branching analysis and Sholl analysis are performed, allowing researchers to draw inferences about dendritic branching complexity and neuronal arbor complexity, respectively. The evaluation of dendritic spines is conducted using an automatic assisted classification algorithm integral to the reconstruction software, which classifies spines into four categories (i.e., thin, mushroom, stubby, filopodia). Furthermore, an additional three parameters (i.e., length, head diameter, and volume) are also chosen to assess alterations in dendritic spine morphology. To validate the potential of wide application of the ballistic labeling technique, pyramidal neurons from in vitro cell culture were successfully labeled. Overall, the ballistic labeling method is unique and useful for visualizing neurons in different brain regions in rats, which in combination with sophisticated reconstruction software, allows researchers to elucidate the possible mechanisms underlying neurocognitive dysfunction.

We present a protocol to label and analyze pyramidal neurons, which is critical for evaluating potential morphological alterations in neurons and dendritic spines that may underlie neurochemical and behavioral abnormalities.

It has been reported that the size and shape of dendritic spines is related to their structural plasticity. To identify the morphological structure of ...

Isolation and Culture of Primary Neurons and Glia from Adult Rat Urinary Bladder

The lower urinary tract has two main functions, namely, periodic urine storage and micturition; these functions are mediated through central and peripheral neuroregulation. Although extensive research on the lower urinary tract nervous system has been conducted, most studies have focused on primary culture. This protocol introduces a method for the isolation and culture of bladder neurons and glia from Sprague&#8211;Dawley rats. In this method, the neurons and glia were incubated in a 37 &#176;C, 5% CO2 incubator for 5&#8211;7 days. As a result, they grew into mature shapes suitable for related subsequent immunofluorescence experiments. Cells were morphologically observed using an optical microscope. Neurons, synaptic vesicles, and glia were identified by &#946;-III-tubulin and MAP-2, Synapsin-1, and GFAP staining, respectively. Meanwhile, immunocytochemistry was performed on several neurotransmitter-related proteins, such as choline acetyltransferase, DYNLL2, and SLC17A9.

This protocol attempts to establish a repeatable protocol for primary neurons and glia isolation from rat bladder for further cellular experiments.