神经生物学

Cerebellar slice cultures are a versatile method to study cerebellar cells in an in vitro preparation that preserves many aspects of the microenvironment of the cerebellar tissue. The setup of this slice culture model is easy, possible throughout the first two postnatal weeks in rodents, and ...

We describe a method to isolate and co-culture dissociated hippocampal neurons and cortical astrocytes from young mice (E17 and newborn, respectively). This protocol is useful to investigate the effects of astrocytes on the developmental biology of neurons. By independently isola ...

The most widely used method (the Brockes’ method) for preparing primary Schwann cell culture uses neonatal rat sciatic nerves as the primary source of Schwann cells. The procedure is relatively simple and yields a highly purified population of Schwann cells in a short period of time. The method has ...

This chapter outlines a procedure for initiation of mouse neopallium (cerebral cortex and its underlying white matter) cell cultures and their development into nearly pure microglia cultures. The cytokine CSF-1 is required for the development, survival, and differentiation of mic ...

We describe a technique to isolate two major phenotypically different populations of microglia (type I and type II) in mixed brain culture. Type I microglia have surface markers for mature monocytic cells and produce microglia-specific cytokines. Type II microglia have cell-surface c ...

Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells represent the largest proliferating progenitor population in the postnatal central nervous system. They not only give rise to oligodendrocytes but also have the potential to differentiate into astrocytes or revert to multipotential neural ...

Here, we describe methods to prepare primary cultures of astrocytes and reactive astrocytes. In 1980, McCarthy and de Vellis reported that highly purified cultures of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes can be obtained from neonatal brain tissue. The primary glial cultures prepared with ...

A method for culturing retinal progenitor cells and their progeny is described. The dissociated cell culture is useful to study isolated cells and the influence of cell intrinsic and environmental signals on various cellular processes. The retinal explant assay reproduces the three- ...

We have provided a detailed protocol for the preparation of interface hippocampal slice cultures from young mice or rats and have included modifications of the protocol necessary for culturing electrophysiologically viable slices from older animals. In addition to providing key p ...

Culturing neurons is an effective way to analyze the basic mechanisms that govern nervous system wiring. The choice of an appropriate molecular substrate is of prime importance to the main objective of the culture. We describe the preparation of basic 2D substrates, complex 2D substrates, and ...

Our understanding of the biology of stem cells and their therapeutic potential relies heavily on robust functional assays that can identify and measure stem cell activity in vivo and in vitro. In the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), neural stem cells (NSC) are often isolated and studied u ...

The assay described in this chapter allows for a relatively simple and fast screening for effects of guidance/growth promoting cues and modulators on dorsal thalamic axons growth. As mentioned in the introduction, the conditions of optimal axon growth in vitro are not identical to conditi ...

Conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder cause undue suffering and economic burden on a substantial portion of our society. The prevalence and serious d ...

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a pervasive developmental disorder, primarily affecting girls. RTT causes a wide variety of debilitating symptoms and no cure currently exists. Mutations in the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) have been found to be responsible for about 90% of clas ...

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) inflicts uncontrollable, intrusive thoughts and ritualistic, compulsive behaviors affecting approximately 3% of the population. Clinical symptoms of OCD can be categorized as checking, hoarding, washing, or ordering. Mounting evide ...

Schizophrenia is thought to be a polygenic disorder that is associated with considerable phenotypic heterogeneity across patients, including variations in age at onset, diagnostic symptoms and subsequent course of illness. Consequently, the generation of incisive mutant mod ...

Environmental enrichment studies of transgenic and mutant mouse models of brain disorders have facilitated exploration of gene � environment interactions and experience-dependent plasticity in response to enhanced mental and physical activity. Environmental enrichm ...

Depression, as part of a larger class of affective disorders, is one of the world’s most deleterious and widespread neurobehavioral diseases. However, much remains to be discovered concerning depression, due to the daunting complexity of its pathological mechanisms and etiology. Var ...

Estrogens are C-18 phenolic steroids derived from cholesterol and occur naturally in the forms of 17β-estradiol, estrone, and estriol. Estrogen biosynthesis begins with the transfer of cystolic cholesterol from the cytoplasm into the mitochondrion of steroidogenic cells (1-3). Th ...

Experimentally induced lesions of basal ganglia cause neurological anomalies such as hindlimb clasping and changes in motor activity, together with deficits in motor coordination and spatial learning. Some of these deficits have been described in mice genetically modified for Pa ...