title: Long-term primary culture of highly-pure rat embryonic hippocampal neurons of low-density.
abstract: In order to develop a simplified method for long-term primary culture of highly-pure rat embryonic hippocampal neurons of low-density (10(3) cells/cm(2)), we optimized and modified conventional culturing methods. The modifications of our simplified method include: (1) combinational application of two growth substrates, tail collagen and poly-L-lysine, to coat plastic culture dishes and coverslips for a better neuronal attachment; (2) dissociation of hippocampal tissues with combinational use of two milder enzymes (collagenase and dispase) and trypsin of a lower concentration to minimize enzymatic damages to cultured neurons; (3) a cell pre-plating step to preliminarily eliminate the contaminating non-neuronal cells; (4) a modified culture medium as a critical step to promote highly pure neurons of low-density for a long term; and (5) appropriately reduced frequency and volume of refreshment of the culture medium. Using our modified method, the beta-tubulin III-immunostained and Hoechst 33342 counterstained neurons harvested a steady and healthy growth with a longer culture time of over 35 days, and a clear distinction between TAU-1- and MAP2-immunoreactive neurites was apparent at the early culturing period. In addition, the purity of neurons was over 95% at the different time points in comparison with the control culture using conventional serum-free method in which most neurons degenerated and died within 5 days. Thus, our modified method proved to be a simple, feasible as well as time- and resource-saving approach for a long-term survival of pure rat embryonic hippocampal neurons of low-density.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurosciences, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. yanghao71_99@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Luo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Gong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Si-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: You
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free