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An In-vitro Preparation of Isolated Enteric Neurons and Glia from the Myenteric Plexus of the Adult Mouse
Published on: August 7, 2013
Maintenance of bulk isolated neurons
1Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Neuroscience Letters
|July 17, 2009
Summary
Rat brain neurons can be kept alive and functional in vitro. Their ability to incorporate labeled precursors into a TCA insoluble fraction indicates neuronal integrity and viability.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Neuronal perikarya from rat brain are used in research.
- Maintaining neuronal function in vitro is crucial for studying cellular processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a method for assessing the functional integrity of maintained neuronal perikarya.
- To demonstrate the utility of radioisotopic precursor incorporation as a viability assay.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of neuronal perikarya from rat brain.
- Maintenance of isolated neurons in vitro for a defined period.
- Measurement of radioisotopically labeled precursor incorporation into the trichloroacetic acid (TCA) insoluble fraction.
Main Results:
- Neuronal perikarya can be successfully maintained in vitro.
- The incorporation of labeled precursors into the TCA insoluble fraction serves as a reliable indicator of neuronal functional integrity.
Conclusions:
- The presented method allows for the assessment of neuronal viability in vitro.
- Radioisotopic labeling provides a quantitative measure of neuronal health and metabolic activity in experimental settings.

