Co-cultivation of astroglial and neuronal primary cultures from rat brain

A technique is described for a two-cell co-cultivation system which permits in vitro evaluation of neuron-glia interactions. Primary astroglial enriched cultures from newborn rat cerebral hemispheres, striatum or cerebral cortex, grown for 3 days, were co-cultivated with primary neuron-containing cultures from 15- to 17-day rat embryo cerebral hemispheres, substantia nigra or brainstem, respectively, grown for 10 days on polylysine-coated surfaces. The neuronal cells were identified morphologically and immunohistochemically by antibodies to neuron-specific enolase. The two cultures were grown together for 7 days, separated by a U-formed 1 mm glass-rod. The results show that neurons exert a morphogenetic effect on astroglial cells in the form of extension of cell processes. The co-culture system allows investigation of potent local humoral interactions between astroglial cells and neurons.