title: NMDA-induced injury of mouse organotypic hippocampal slice cultures triggers delayed neuroblast proliferation in the dentate gyrus: an in vitro model for the study of neural precursor cell proliferation.
abstract: We present a model for the study of injury-induced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) in murine organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHCs). A brief exposure of 8-day-old hippocampal slice cultures to the glutamate receptor agonist N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA; 20-50µM for 30 min) caused a selective excitotoxic injury in the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus that matured over a period of 24h. The insult resulted in a prominent up-regulation of proliferating nuclei within the OHC dentate gyrus (DG), and a corresponding increase in Ki67/doublecortin double-positive cells in the SGZ of the dentate gyrus. 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labelling of the OHCs for three days subsequent to the NMDA exposure revealed significantly increased BrdU incorporation within the DG (SGZ and GCL) of the hippocampus. Doublecortin immunofluorescence indicated a concurrent up-regulation of neuronal precursor cells specifically in the SGZ and GCL. Significantly increased BrdU incorporation could be detected up to 6-9 days after termination of the NMDA exposure. The model presented here enables easy manipulation and follow-up of injury-induced neuroblast proliferation in the DG that is amenable to the study of transgenic mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Medical Physics and RCSI Neuroscience Research Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Eva C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Bunk
authors.forename: Hans-Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Helena P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Bonner
authors.forename: Brian P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: Jochen H M
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Prehn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D051379:Mice; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000633:toxicity*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D016202:N-Methylaspartate