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Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Protocol for Culturing Sympathetic Neurons from Rat Superior Cervical Ganglia (SCG)
Published on: January 30, 2009
Comparative effects of high glucose on different adult sympathetic neurons in culture
Yemane K Semra1, Neil C E Smith, Jill Lincoln
1Autonomic Neuroscience Institute, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PF, UK.
Abstract:
In vivo, diabetes causes neuropathy in the sympathetic celiac/superior mesenteric ganglion (CG/SMG) but not the superior cervical ganglion (SCG). Therefore, our aim was to compare the effects of high glucose in vitro on adult rat SCG and CG/SMG neurons. High glucose decreased viability and neurite outgrowth and increased TUNEL staining in freshly dissociated neurons from both ganglia. In cultures established for 24 h before exposure to high glucose, a significant (p < 0.01) decrease in neurite-bearing neurons from CG/SMG but not SCG occurred. CG/SMG neurons took longer (p < 0.05) to initiate neurite outgrowth and had lower (p < 0.002) anti-oxidant defence enzyme activity. These properties may contribute to the selective development of neuropathy in CG/SMG in diabetes in vivo.
