title: Structural complexity of primary cultures of astrocytes as revealed by transverse sections.
abstract: The tissue architecture of low-, medium-, and high-density primary mouse astroglial cultures was examined in horizontal and transverse planes using the electron microscope. It was found that the low-density (colony) cultures consisted of a true monolayer, whereas the medium- and high-density (confluent) cultures consisted of anywhere from two to seven overlapping sheets enclosing a substantial intercellular space. The presence of these multiple overlapping sheets in confluent astrocyte cultures should therefore be taken into consideration when interpreting data of cell-membrane-related phenomena such as ion fluxes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Devon
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Juurlink
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002452:Cell Count; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron