title: Astrocyte differentiation in primary culture followed by flow cytometry.
abstract: Astrocyte proliferation and differentiation in primary culture were followed by flow cytometry. The time-courses of the percentages of astrocytes in the different cell-cycle phases suggest that astrocytes proliferate during the first 10 days in culture thereafter reaching confluence. Two types of astrocytes are identified immunocytochemically: one growing in the bed monolayer, identified as type-1 astrocytes, and another growing on the top of the monolayer, identified as type-2 astrocytes. In addition, three populations identified as being formed of type-1, type-2 and putative progenitor cells, respectively, were followed by flow cytometry. Progenitor cells were the major type 2 h after plating (89%) but their percentage decreases sharply (to 16%) during the first 5 days in culture, with no ensuing changes. In contrast, the percentage of type-1 cells (11%) rapidly increased after plating reaching a maximum 5 days later (73%). Later, it decreased (to 47%) and was maintained thereafter. The percentage of type-2 cells was undetectable immediately after plating but increased from the 3rd to the 10th day with no further changes. Our results suggest that progenitor cells differentiate into type-1 astrocytes triggered by the culture medium but the differentiation of progenitor cells into type-2 astrocytes is brought about by some type-1-secreted factor. In this work we report a rapid and simple method for following the growth and differentiation of rat brain astrocytes in primary culture.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Edificio Interdepartamental, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabernero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orfao
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Medina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007700:Kinetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents