Name: isolation and culture of primary neurons and glia from adult rat urinary bladder
Uploaded: 2020-05-23T14:45:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolation and Culture of Primary Neurons and Glia from Adult Rat Urinary Bladder at JoVE.com

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 81673676) and Dongguan Science and Technology Bureau (Grant no. 2019622101002). The authors thank Dr. Maryrose Sullivan (Assistant Professor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School) for technical consulting.

All experimental protocols and animal procedures complied with the ethical principle guidelines of the National Research Council.
1. Preparation of materials
<ol>
	<li>Sterilize all instruments and ddH2O using an autoclave before performing the experiment. Instruments include but are not limited to surgical scissors, ophthalmic scissors, forceps, spoons nucleus divider, glass dishes (60&#8211;100 mm in diameter), and glass breakers.</li>
	<li>Prepare the Krebs solution as follows ...

<ol>
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S., 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=Nerve+function+and+dysfunction+in+acute+intermittent+porphyria.">Nerve function and dysfunction in acute intermittent porphyria.</a> Brain. 131, 2510-2519 (2008).</li><li>Rantell, 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=What+is+the+utility+of+urodynamics,+including+ambulatory,+and+24+h+monitoring,+in+predicting+upper+urinary+tract+damage+in+neuro-urological+patients+and+other+lower+urinary+tract+dysfunction?+ICI-RS+2017.">What is the utility of urodynamics, including ambulatory, and 24 h monitoring, in predicting upper urinary tract damage in neuro-urological patients and other lower urinary tract dysfunction? ICI-RS 2017.</a> Neurourology and Urodynamics. 37, 25-31 (2018).</li><li>Halperin, J. 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(202), 395-423 (2011).</li><li>Moriyama, Y., Hiasa, M., Sakamoto, S., Omote, H., Nomura, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Vesicular+nucleotide+transporter+(VNUT):+appearance+of+an+actress+on+the+stage+of+purinergic+signaling.">Vesicular nucleotide transporter (VNUT): appearance of an actress on the stage of purinergic signaling.</a> Purinergic Signal. 13 (3), 387-404 (2017).</li><li>Chaudhury, A., He, X. D., Goyal, R. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Myosin+Va+plays+a+key+role+in+nitrergic+neurotransmission+by+transporting+nNOS&#945;+to+enteric+varicosity+membrane.">Myosin Va plays a key role in nitrergic neurotransmission by transporting nNOS&#945; to enteric varicosity membrane.</a> American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 301 (3), 498-507 (2011).</li><li>Le Berre-Scoul, 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=A+novel+enteric+neuron-glia+coculture+system+reveals+the+role+of+glia+in+neuronal+development.">A novel enteric neuron-glia coculture system reveals the role of glia in neuronal development.</a> The Journal of Physiology. 595 (2), 583-598 (2017).</li><li>Hayashi, H., Yamada, M., Kumai, J., Takagi, N., Nomizu, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Biological+activities+of+laminin-111-derived+peptide-chitosan+matrices+in+a+primary+culture+of+rat+cortical+neurons.">Biological activities of laminin-111-derived peptide-chitosan matrices in a primary culture of rat cortical neurons.</a> Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 648, 53-59 (2018).</li><li>Bottenstein, J. 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Plate Preparation 
The use of glass coverslips in 6-, 12-, or 48-well culture plates for immunofluorescent or calcium imaging experiments is an economical and sample-sparing operation. Cells grow well in plates without coverslips during the preparation of primary cell cultures. Therefore, coverslips are dispensable in experiments, such as Western blot or polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, coating is a necessary step before plating cells, with or without coverslips. Laminin and poly-D-lysine are...

The lower urinary tract has two main functions: periodic urine storage and micturition1. The lower urinary tract nervous system (LUTNS) controls these functions and is delicate and susceptible to many neuropathies, which can be innate (porphyria), acquired (Lyme disease), secondary to disease states (diabetic cystopathy), drug induced (hemorrhagic cystitis), surgery caused (abdominoperineal resection), or injury caused (traumatic spinal cord injury)2,3,4,5,6,7. In physiological/pathological studies, in vivo and in vitro experiments are equally important. While in vivo research on LUTNS has been conducted at organ, cellular, and molecular levels for some time, in vitro research on primary neurons from the urinary bladder is almost nonexistent8,9. Although the present study is limited, we hope to pioneer research in this area so that other researchers could improve it. In this manner, this co-culture may lead to a cellular understanding of physiological dysfunction in phenotypes, such as bladder neuron dysfunction.
In contrast to enteric muscles with a clear directionality of the muscle cells into discrete layers, the muscles of the bladder are unorganized10. Therefore, instead of peeling off the outer layer of the bladder, this method proposes digesting the entire bladder to reduce the difficulty of operation and shorten the preprocessing time for a high cell survival rate.
Following this method, we can obtain a mixed culture of neurons and other cells. The other cells are indispensable because their presence mimics an in vivo environment11. In addition, such cells provide the substances that are unavailable in the medium.
This method involves two steps for digestion. First, collagenase type II is used to hydrolyze collagen, followed by trypsin, to dissociate the tissue into cells10. In this manner, bladder tissues are dispersed into single cells and then grow relatively independent. When the culture of neurons matures, the neurons can be used for imaging or functional assays.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:1061px;" width="1061">
	<colgroup>
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">0.25% trypsin</td>
			<td style="width:279px;">Gibico</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">15050065</td>
			<td style="width:296px;">Enzyme digestion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">48-well culture plate</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">3548</td>
			<td>Coating dish</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">antibiotic/antimycotic</td>
			<td>Gibico</td>
			<td>15240062</td>
			<td>Culture media/Rinse media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Anti-Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Antibody</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz</td>
			<td>sc-33673</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">B-27</td>
			<td>Gibico</td>
			<td>17504044</td>
			<td>Culture media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">BSA Fraction V</td>
			<td>Gibico</td>
			<td>332</td>
			<td>Enzyme digestion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Choline Acetyltransferase Antibody</td>
			<td>Abcam</td>
			<td>ab18736</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">CO2 Incubator</td>
			<td>Heraeus</td>
			<td>B16UU</td>
			<td>Cells culture</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Collagenase type II</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>2593923</td>
			<td>Enzyme digestion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:25px;">DMEM/F-12</td>
			<td>Gibico</td>
			<td>11330032</td>
			<td>Rinse media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">DYNLL2 Antibody</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz</td>
			<td>sc-13969</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td>Gibico</td>
			<td>10100147</td>
			<td>Culture media/Rinse media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Forceps</td>
			<td>Shanghai Jin Zhong Medical Devices</td>
			<td>1383</td>
			<td>10 cm; Sterile operation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Glass breakers</td>
			<td>Huan Qiu Medical Devices</td>
			<td>1101</td>
			<td>50 ml; Sterile operation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Glass coverslips</td>
			<td>WHB Scientific</td>
			<td>WHB-48-CS</td>
			<td>Coating dish</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Glass dishes</td>
			<td>Huan Qiu Medical Devices</td>
			<td>1177</td>
			<td>100 mm; Sterile operation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Goat Anti-Rat IgG(H+L), Mouse ads-Alexa Fluor 488</td>
			<td>Southernbiotech</td>
			<td>3050-30</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Goat Anti-Rat IgG(H+L), Mouse ads-Alexa Fluor 555</td>
			<td>Southernbiotech</td>
			<td>3050-30</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Hoechst 33342</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>561908</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Laminar flow bench</td>
			<td>Su Jie Medical Devices</td>
			<td>CB 1400V</td>
			<td>Sterile operation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Laminin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>L2020</td>
			<td>Coating dish</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">L-glutamine</td>
			<td>Gibico</td>
			<td>25030081</td>
			<td>Culture media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">MAP-2 Antibody</td>
			<td>Affinity</td>
			<td>AF5156</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Murine GDNF</td>
			<td>Peprotech</td>
			<td>AF45044</td>
			<td>Culture media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Neurobasal-A Medium</td>
			<td>Gibico</td>
			<td>10888022</td>
			<td>Culture media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Ophthalmic scissors</td>
			<td>Shanghai Jin Zhong Medical Devices</td>
			<td>J21010</td>
			<td>12.5 cm; Sterile operation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Pipettes</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">3120000240</td>
			<td>100-1000 ul; Reagent and sample pipetting</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Pipettes</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">3120000267</td>
			<td>10-100 ul; Reagent and sample pipetting</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Poly-D-lysine</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P7280</td>
			<td>Coating dish</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Refrigerated centrifuge</td>
			<td>Ping Fan Instrument</td>
			<td>TGL-16A</td>
			<td>Enzyme digestion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Shaking incubator</td>
			<td>Haimen Kylin-Bell Lab Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">T8-1</td>
			<td>Enzyme digestion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">SLC17A9 Antibody</td>
			<td>MBL International</td>
			<td>BMP079</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Spoons nucleus divider</td>
			<td>Shanghai Jin Zhong Medical Devices</td>
			<td>YZR030</td>
			<td>12 cm; Sterile operation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Substance P Antibody</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz</td>
			<td>sc-58591</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Surgical scissors</td>
			<td>Shanghai Jin Zhong Medical Devices</td>
			<td>J21130</td>
			<td>16 cm; Sterile operation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Surgical towel</td>
			<td>Fu Kang Medical Devices</td>
			<td>5002</td>
			<td>40 x 50 cm; Sterile operation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Synapsin-1 Antibody</td>
			<td>CST</td>
			<td>5297T</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Tubulin beta Antibody(&#946;-III-tubulin)</td>
			<td>Affinity</td>
			<td>AF7011</td>
			<td>ICC</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

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.

In the process of primary cell culture, the cells acquired were round with bright and clear boundaries before the attached state. As the neurons grew, dendrites and axons started to be distinct. After 5&#8211;7 days of culture, the neurons reached a mature form with long projections, which were ideal for imaging or function studies. Although most of the impurities and cell debris could be removed due to changing media, certain residuals attached to poly-D-lysine and laminin coating were visible (Figu...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolation and Culture of Primary Neurons and Glia from Adult Rat Urinary Bladder at JoVE.com

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

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

The lower urinary tract has two main functions, namely, periodic urine storage and micturition; these functions are mediated through central and ...

This co-culture method may lead towards cellular understanding of physiological dysfunction in phenotypes, such as bladder neuron dysfunctions. The main advantage of this protocol is high efficiency. The entire isolation can be completed in six hours.Demonstrating the procedure will be Jiao Zhang, a postgraduate student from my laboratory. Begin by placing rats on a sterilized surgical towel and exposing the abdomen. Use scissors and forceps to open the abdominal cavity and reveal the bladder.Use another set of scissors and forceps to gently lift the bladder and cut it from the bladder neck. Then quickly place the bladder in cold oxygen stable Krebs solution to improve cell survival. Add Krebs solution into three glass dishes and three glass beakers and place them in an ice bath for pre-cooling.Number the dishes and beakers one, two, and three to prevent confusion. In glass dish one, open the bladder with ophthalmic scissors and unfold it with forceps and a Spoons nucleus divider. Rinse the bladder in glass beaker one and place it in glass dish two.Eliminate adherent fat on the tissue surface using the forceps and ophthalmic scissors, then rinse the bladder in beaker two and place it in dish three. Gently scrape the bladder using the forceps and the Spoons nucleus divider to remove exogenous attachments. Rinse the bladder in glass beaker three and transfer it to a 15 milliliter centrifuge tube with 14 milliliters of cold Krebs solution.Centrifuge the sample for one minute at 360 times G and four degrees Celsius. Transfer the bladder from the centrifuge tube to a two milliliter vial containing one milliliter of digestion solution. Use ophthalmic scissors to cut the bladder into small pieces.Mix the bladder solution with nine milliliters of digestion solution one in a sterile cell culture dish. Perform the first digestion in a shaking incubator for one hour at 37 degrees Celsius and 5%carbon dioxide at 200 RPM. After the first digestion, centrifuge the solution at 300 times G and four degrees Celsius for eight minutes.Meanwhile, place digestion solution two in a 37 degree Celsius water bath for preheating. After centrifugation, remove most of the supernatant that contains digestion solution one, leaving some supernatant to avoid cell loss. Resuspend the cells in warm digestion solution two and shake the mixture while digesting in a 37 degree Celsius water bath for five minutes.Once digestion is complete, immediately deactivate the trypsin by adding 10 milliliters of cold rinse media. Centrifuge the cells at 360 times G and four degrees Celsius for eight minutes, then remove as much supernatant as possible to eliminate all trypsin. Gently resuspend sediment with three milliliters of neuron media, making sure to not generate air bubbles in the solution.Filter the suspension through a 70 micrometer cell strainer into a 50 milliliter centrifuge tube. Collect cells by centrifugation at 360 times G at four degrees Celsius for eight minutes, then gently resuspend the cell pellets in one milliliter of neuron media A and add 500 microliters of cell suspension to each well of a 48-well plate. Culture cells at 37 degrees Celsius and 5%carbon dioxide.The cells isolated from the rat bladder culture were imaged at one, three, and seven days after plating. As the neurons grew, dendrites and axons became distinct. After five to seven days of culture, the neurons reached a mature form with long projections which were ideal for imaging or function studies.After proper culture, neurons were identified with beta-three tubulin and MAP2 immunostaining and glia were identified with GFAP immunostaining. Mature neurons developed synaptic spines, which were close to the presynaptic specializations identified by immunostaining of Synapsin-1. Meanwhile, several neuron subtypes were recognized through immunohistochemistry experiments.Peptidergic neurons which contain various neuropeptides were immunostained with substance-P. Purinergic neurons with expressed vascular nucleotide transporters were identified via SLC17A9 staining. Nitrogenic neurons were visualized with DOIN-LL2 which connects neural NOS with motor proteins in neurons.And cholinergic neurons were immunoreactive with choline acetyltransferase. When performing the second digestion, remember to have the cold rinse medium beside you and ready to use. In this way, you can immediately deactivate the trypsin.When the cell culture matures, immunocytochemistry can be performed. This will reveal expression and distribution of target proteins in the cells. This method provides researchers with an in vitro model to explore diseases like bladder neuron dysfunction.

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Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

Nucleofection and Primary Culture of Embryonic Mouse Hippocampal and Cortical Neurons

Hippocampal and cortical neurons have been used extensively to study central nervous system (CNS) neuronal polarization, axon/dendrite outgrowth, and synapse formation and function. An advantage of culturing these neurons is that they readily polarize, forming distinctive axons and dendrites, on a two dimensional substrate at very low densities. This property has made them extremely useful for determining many aspects of neuronal development. Furthermore, by providing glial conditioning for these neurons they will continue to develop, forming functional synaptic connections and surviving for several months in culture. In this protocol we outline a technique to dissect, culture and transfect embryonic mouse hippocampal and cortical neurons. Transfection is accomplished by electroporating DNA into the neurons before plating via nucleofection. This protocol has the advantage of expressing fluorescently-tagged fusion proteins early in development (~4-8hrs after plating) to study the dynamics and function of proteins during polarization, axon outgrowth and branching. We have also discovered that this single transfection before plating maintains fluorescently-tagged fusion protein expression at levels appropriate for imaging throughout the lifetime of the neuron (&gt; 2 months in culture). Thus, this methodology is useful for studying protein localization and function throughout CNS development with little or no disruption of neuronal function.

This protocol outlines the steps required to dissect, transfect via electroporation and culture mouse hippocampal and cortical neurons. Short-term cultures may be used for studies of axon outgrowth and guidance, while long-term cultures can be used for studies of synaptogenesis and dendritic spine analysis.

Hippocampal and cortical neurons have been used extensively to study central nervous system (CNS) neuronal polarization, axon/dendrite outgrowth, and ...

Bilaminar Co-culture of Primary Rat Cortical Neurons and Glia

This video will guide you through the process of culturing rat cortical neurons in the presence of a glial feeder layer, a system known as a bilaminar or co-culture model. This system is suitable for a variety of experimental needs requiring either a glass or plastic growth substrate and can also be used for culture of other types of neurons.
Rat cortical neurons obtained from the late embryonic stage (E17) are plated on glass coverslips or tissue culture dishes facing a feeder layer of glia grown on dishes or plastic coverslips (known as Thermanox), respectively. The choice between the two configurations depends on the specific experimental technique used, which may require, or not, that neurons are grown on glass (e.g. calcium imaging versus Western blot). The glial feeder layer, an astroglia-enriched secondary culture of mixed glia, is separately prepared from the cortices of newborn rat pups (P2-4) prior to the neuronal dissection.
A major advantage of this culture system as compared to a culture of neurons only is the support of neuronal growth, survival, and differentiation provided by trophic factors secreted from the glial feeder layer, which more accurately resembles the brain environment in vivo. Furthermore, the co-culture can be used to study neuronal-glial interactions1.
At the same time, glia contamination in the neuronal layer is prevented by different means (low density culture, addition of mitotic inhibitors, lack of serum and use of optimized culture medium) leading to a virtually pure neuronal layer, comparable to other established methods1-3. Neurons can be easily separated from the glial layer at any time during culture and used for different experimental applications ranging from electrophysiology4, cellular and molecular biology5-8, biochemistry5, imaging and microscopy4,6,7,9,10. The primary neurons extend axons and dendrites to form functional synapses11, a process which is not observed in neuronal cell lines, although some cell lines do extend processes.
A detailed protocol of culturing rat hippocampal neurons using this co-culture system has been described previously4,12,13. Here we detail a modified protocol suited for cortical neurons. As approximately 20x106 cells are recovered from each rat embryo, this method is particularly useful for experiments requiring large numbers of neurons (but not concerned about a highly homogenous neuronal population). The preparation of neurons and glia needs to be planned in a time-specific manner. We will provide the step-by-step protocol for culturing rat cortical neurons as well as culturing glial cells to support the neurons.

Here we provide a protocol for culturing rat cortical neurons in the presence of a glial feeder layer. The cultured neurons establish polarity and create synapses, and can be separated from the glia for use in various applications, such as electrophysiology, calcium imaging, cell survival assays, immunocytochemistry, and RNA/DNA/protein isolation.

This video will guide you through the process of culturing rat cortical neurons in the presence of a glial feeder layer, a system known as a bilaminar or ...

Isolation and Culture of Hippocampal Neurons from Prenatal Mice

Primary cultures of rat and murine hippocampal neurons are widely used to reveal cellular mechanisms in neurobiology. By isolating and growing individual neurons, researchers are able to analyze properties related to cellular trafficking, cellular structure and individual protein localization using a variety of biochemical techniques. Results from such experiments are critical for testing theories addressing the neural basis of memory and learning. However, unambiguous results from these forms of experiments are predicated on the ability to grow neuronal cultures with minimum contamination by other brain cell types. In this protocol, we use specific media designed for neuron growth and careful dissection of embryonic hippocampal tissue to optimize growth of healthy neurons while minimizing contaminating cell types (i.e. astrocytes). Embryonic mouse hippocampal tissue can be more difficult to isolate than similar rodent tissue due to the size of the sample for dissection. We show detailed dissection techniques of hippocampus from embryonic day 19 (E19) mouse pups. Once hippocampal tissue is isolated, gentle dissociation of neuronal cells is achieved with a dilute concentration of trypsin and mechanical disruption designed to separate cells from connective tissue while providing minimum damage to individual cells. A detailed description of how to prepare pipettes to be used in the disruption is included. Optimal plating densities are provided for immuno-fluorescence protocols to maximize successful cell culture. The protocol provides a fast (approximately 2 hr) and efficient technique for the culture of neuronal cells from mouse hippocampal tissue.

We provide a protocol for the culture of highly purified hippocampal neurons from prenatal mouse brains without the use of a feeder glial cell layer.

Primary cultures of rat and murine hippocampal neurons are widely used to reveal cellular mechanisms in neurobiology. By isolating and growing individual ...

An In-vitro Preparation of Isolated Enteric Neurons and Glia from the Myenteric Plexus of the Adult Mouse

The enteric nervous system is a vast network of neurons and glia running the length of the gastrointestinal tract that functionally controls gastrointestinal motility. A procedure for the isolation and culture of a mixed population of neurons and glia from the myenteric plexus is described. The primary cultures can be maintained for over 7 days, with connections developing among the neurons and glia. The longitudinal muscle strip with the attached myenteric plexus is stripped from the underlying circular muscle of the mouse ileum or colon and subjected to enzymatic digestion. In sterile conditions, the isolated neuronal and glia population are preserved within the pellet following centrifugation and plated on coverslips. Within 24-48 hr, neurite outgrowth occurs and neurons can be identified by pan-neuronal markers. After two days in culture, isolated neurons fire action potentials as observed by patch clamp studies. Furthermore, enteric glia can also be identified by GFAP staining. A network of neurons and glia in close apposition forms within 5 - 7 days. Enteric neurons can be individually and directly studied using methods such as immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and single-cell PCR. Furthermore, this procedure can be performed in genetically modified animals. This methodology is simple to perform and inexpensive. Overall, this protocol exposes the components of the enteric nervous system in an easily manipulated manner so that we may better discover the functionality of the ENS in normal and disease states.

An In-vitro Preparation of Isolated Enteric Neurons and Glia from the Myenteric Plexus of the Adult Mouse

We demonstrate a cell culture protocol for the direct study of neuronal and glial components of the enteric nervous system. A neuron/glia mixed culture on coverslips is prepared from the myenteric plexus of adult mouse providing the ability to examine individual neuron and glia function by electrophysiology, immunohistochemical, etc.

The enteric nervous system is a vast network of neurons and glia running the length of the gastrointestinal tract that functionally controls ...

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 ...

Isolation and Culture of Dissociated Sensory Neurons From Chick Embryos

Neurons are multifaceted cells that carry information essential for a variety of functions including sensation, motor movement, learning, and memory. Studying neurons in vivo can be challenging due to their complexity, their varied and dynamic environments, and technical limitations. For these reasons, studying neurons in vitro can prove beneficial to unravel the complex mysteries of neurons. The well-defined nature of cell culture models provides detailed control over environmental conditions and variables. Here we describe how to isolate, dissociate, and culture primary neurons from chick embryos. This technique is rapid, inexpensive, and generates robustly growing sensory neurons. The procedure consistently produces cultures that are highly enriched for neurons and has very few non-neuronal cells (less than 5%). Primary neurons do not adhere well to untreated glass or tissue culture plastic, therefore detailed procedures to create two distinct, well-defined laminin-containing substrata for neuronal plating are described. Cultured neurons are highly amenable to multiple cellular and molecular techniques, including co-immunoprecipitation, live cell imagining, RNAi, and immunocytochemistry. Procedures for double immunocytochemistry on these cultured neurons have been optimized and described here.

Cell culture models provide detailed control over environmental conditions and thus provide a powerful platform to elucidate numerous aspects of neuronal cell biology. We describe a rapid, inexpensive, and reliable method to isolate, dissociate, and culture sensory neurons from chick embryos. Details of substrata preparation and immunocytochemistry are also provided.

Neurons are multifaceted cells that carry information essential for a variety of functions including sensation, motor movement, learning, and memory. ...

Isolation, Culture and Long-Term Maintenance of Primary Mesencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons From Embryonic Rodent Brains

Degeneration of mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) neurons is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson&#8217;s diseae. Study of the biological processes involved in physiological functions and vulnerability and death of these neurons is imparative to understanding the underlying causes and unraveling the cure for this common neurodegenerative disorder. Primary cultures of mesDA neurons provide a tool for investigation of the molecular, biochemical and electrophysiological properties, in order to understand the development, long-term survival and degeneration of these neurons during the course of disease. Here we present a detailed method for the isolation, culturing and maintenance of midbrain dopaminergic neurons from E12.5 mouse (or E14.5 rat) embryos. Optimized cell culture conditions in this protocol result in presence of axonal and dendritic projections, synaptic connections and other neuronal morphological properties, which make the cultures suitable for study of the physiological, cell biological and molecular characteristics of this neuronal population.

The causes of degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons during Parkinson&#8217;s disease are not fully understood. Cellular culture systems provide an essential tool for study of the neurophysiological properties of these neurons. Here we present an optimized protocol, which can be utilized for in vitro modeling of neurodegeneration.

Degeneration of mesencephalic dopaminergic (mesDA) neurons is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson&#8217;s diseae. Study of the biological processes ...

Isolation and Culture of Adult Neural Stem Cells from the Mouse Subcallosal Zone

Adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) can be used for the regeneration of damaged brain tissue. NSCs have the potential for differentiation and proliferation into three types of cells: neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Identifying aNSC-derived regions and characterizing the aNSC properties are critical for the potential use of aNSCs and for the elucidation of their role in neural regeneration. The subcallosal zone (SCZ), located between white matter and the hippocampus, has recently been reported to contain aNSCs and continuously give rise to neuroblasts. A low percentage of aNSCs from the SCZ is differentiated into neurons; most cells are differentiated into glial cells, such as oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. These cells are suggested to have a therapeutic potential for traumatic cortical injury. This protocol describes in detail the process to generate SCZ-aNSCs from an adult mouse brain. A brain matrix with intervals of 1 mm is used to obtain the SCZ-containing coronal slices and to precisely dissect the SCZ from the whole brain. The SCZ sections are initially subjected to a neurosphere culture. A well-developed culture system allows for the verification of their characteristics and can increase research on NSCs. A neurosphere culture system provides a useful tool for determining proliferation and collecting the genuine NSCs. A monolayer culture is also an in vitro system to assay proliferation and differentiation. Significantly, this culture system provides a more homogenous environment for NSCs than the neurosphere culture system. Thus, using a discrete brain region, these culture systems will be helpful for expanding our knowledge about aNSCs and their applications for therapeutic uses.

Establishing culture systems for the expansion of adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) allows for the examination and application of aNSCs for therapy. The subcallosal zone (SCZ) has recently been recognized as a novel neuroblast-forming region in adult mice. Here, methods for the isolation, expansion, and differentiation of SCZ-aNSCs are described.

Adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) can be used for the regeneration of damaged brain tissue. NSCs have the potential for differentiation and proliferation ...

Spinal Cord Neurons Isolation and Culture from Neonatal Mice

We present a protocol for the isolation and culture of spinal cord neurons. The neurons are obtained from neonatal C57BL/6 mice and are isolated on postnatal day 1-3. A mouse litter, usually 4-10 pups born from one breeding pair, is gathered for one experiment, and spinal cords are collected individually from each mouse after euthanasia with isoflurane. The spinal column is dissected out and then the spinal cord is released from the column. The spinal cords are then minced to increase the surface area of delivery for an enzymatic protease that allows for the neurons and other cells to be released from the tissue. Trituration is then used to release the cells into solution. This solution is subsequently fractionated in a density gradient to separate the various cells in solution, allowing for neurons to be isolated. Approximately 1-2.5 x 106 neurons can be isolated from one litter group. The neurons are then seeded onto wells coated with adhesive factors that allow for proper growth and maturation. The neurons take approximately 7 days to reach maturity in the growth and culture medium and can be used thereafter for treatment and analysis.

This study presents a technique for the isolation of neurons from WT neonatal mice. It requires the careful dissection of the spinal cord from the neonatal mouse, followed by the separation of neurons from the spinal cord tissue through mechanical and enzymatic cleavage.

We present a protocol for the isolation and culture of spinal cord neurons. The neurons are obtained from neonatal C57BL/6 mice and are isolated on ...

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 ...