title: A method for a more complete in vitro Parkinson's model: slice culture bioassay for modeling maintenance and repair of the nigrostriatal circuit.
abstract: Slice culture model systems provide a unique opportunity to monitor and lesion brain circuits in a dish. Using a novel approach, we have generated parasagittal slices from mouse brains that preserve, throughout the culture process, the nigrostriatal circuit. These slices can be cultured for approximately 4 weeks with maintenance of normal neuronal cytoarchitecture. Application of the dopamine specific toxin 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA) induces a significant decline in tyrosine hydroxylase positive cell bodies and fibers. Using a transgenic mouse with green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the tyrosine hydroxylase promoter, we have been able to visualize in real time the loss of GFP expression in the striatum of slices as a result of 6-OHDA exposure. Using these cultures we have demonstrated the feasibility of modeling cellular replacement strategies. GFP-positive embryonic stem cell-derived neuronal precursors can be tracked in real time throughout the experiment and are amenable to patch clamp recording within the slice environment. In addition, cell differentiation can be observed within these slices and the effects of morphogenetic proteins, like the extracellular matrix molecule laminin, drugs or small molecules can be observed. This unique culture system presents a new approach for modeling Parkinson's disease in vitro, and provides a potentially useful new method for screening cell and molecular therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, The McKnight Brain Institute, Shands Cancer Center, Program in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kearns
authors.forename: Bjorn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scheffler
authors.forename: A Katrin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Goetz
authors.forename: Dean D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Harriet D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Steven N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Roper
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mandel
authors.forename: Dennis A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Steindler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000633:toxicity; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C079240:Mtap2 protein, mouse; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D016627:Oxidopamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase