An organotypic culture model to study nigro-striatal degeneration.
Functional and reliable in vitro models of Parkinson's disease (PD) are valuable for studying mechanisms of dopaminergic degeneration before proceeding to animal testing. At present, all in vitro models involve substitute cell types and thus their direct relevance to PD is questionable. Here, we describe an organotypic culture model which conserves the 3D architecture of the nigro-striatal pathway, together with the subventricular zone and cerebral cortex, and recapitulates a specific pattern of dopaminergic degeneration which is the principal hallmark of PD. The organotypic culture is kept in vitro for up to 12 days and dopaminergic degeneration is induced by the simple cutting of dopaminergic fibers. This organotypic model represents a rapid and useful method (30 min/pup for preparation and up to 12 days of cultivation) to investigate in vitro the mechanisms underlying neuronal death and protection, as well as neurogenesis and repair after nigro-striatal neurodegeneration.
Cavaliere
Fabio
F
Department of Neuroscience and CIBERNED, Vizcaya Technology Park, Neurotek-UPV/EHU, E-48170 Zamudio, Vizcaya, Spain. fabio.cavaliere@ciberned.es
Vicente
Edurne San
ES
Matute
Carlos
C
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D019771:Axotomy / Q000379:methods; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D042282:Microdissection / Q000379:methods; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D004298:Dopamine