发布: 2019年03月20日第9卷第6期 DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3192 浏览次数: 5882
评审: Oneil G. BhalalaSébastien GillotinAnonymous reviewer(s)
Abstract
In the study of neurodegenerative diseases, it is imperative to study the cellular and molecular changes associated with pathogenesis in the relevant cell type, central nervous system neurons. The unique compartmentalized morphology and bioenergetic needs of primary neurons present complications for their study in culture. Recent microculture techniques utilizing microfluidic culture devices allows for environmental separation and analysis of neuronal cell bodies and neurites in culture. Here, we present our protocol for culture of primary neurons in microfluidic devices and their chronic treatment with the Parkinson’s disease (PD) relevant toxicant rotenone. In addition, we present a method for reuse of devices for culture. This culture methodology presents advantages for evaluating early pathogenic cellular and molecular changes in neurons in a compartment-specific manner.
Keywords: Primary neuron cultureBackground
Studying primary neurons in vitro has long presented challenges due to the unique, diverse morphologies of neurons, and due to neuronal culturing requirements (Millet and Gillette, 2012). Neurons exhibit a unique compartmentalized morphology, with the soma, dendrites, and axons all exhibiting compartment-specific biochemical needs (Van Laar and Berman, 2013). Studying these different microenvironments objectively via large-scale approaches or high-throughput methods can be difficult under traditional plate culture, as cell bodies and neurites growing in proximity often cross, overlap, and functionally connect with one another. The development of microculturing methods incorporating microchannels to restrict cell movement and permit neurite outgrowth has allowed for the culturing of neurons in a manner that environmentally separates axonal and dendritic neurite projections from their cell body, or soma (Millet and Gillette, 2012; Taylor et al., 2003). This innovation permits cellular compartment-specific analyses of neuronal development, biochemistry, and effects of treatments (e.g., treating the axons with a drug or toxicant, but not the soma) (Taylor et al., 2005 and 2015; Park et al., 2006). The commercial availability of such devices now allows for uniform, large-scale studies into comparisons of the axonal environment and the somal environment.
By allowing for prolonged, healthy culture of primary neurons while isolating the microenvironments of the differing cellular compartments, these devices have become essential tools for studies that examine morphological-compartment specific development, senescence, or, in the case of our previous study, chronic drug exposure (Van Laar et al., 2018).
Here, we present our detailed protocol for preparation of embryonic rat primary cortical neurons (Arnold et al., 2011; adapted from Ghosh and Greenberg, 1995), culturing the neurons in Xona Microfluidics® brand microfluidic culture devices, and chronically treating the neurons with sublethal levels of the PD-relevant toxicant rotenone, as described in our recent publication in Van Laar et al. (2018). Our microfluidic device plating protocol, adapted from work originally presented by Park et al. (2006), provides details to (1) better ensure isolation of the soma from the axonal compartment side during the initial plating and (2) to promote neuronal health during prolonged culturing and treatment requiring media changes. We also present our protocol for the cleaning and reuse of microfluidic culture devices. This helps prevent the waste of devices in the event that initial platings of neuronal cultures fail to thrive or are otherwise unusable for experimental analyses.
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版权信息
© 2019 The Authors; exclusive licensee Bio-protocol LLC.
如何引用
Readers should cite both the Bio-protocol article and the original research article where this protocol was used:
分类
神经科学 > 细胞机理 > 组织分离与培养
细胞生物学 > 细胞分离和培养 > 微流体细胞培养
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