Practical applications of neuronal tissue culture in in vitro toxicology

1. Primary chick embryo forebrain neurones are relatively easy to culture and are quite resilient to treatment manipulation. These characteristics have allowed application in a surprisingly diverse number of areas. 2. These cultures have been used to investigate the anticholinesterase potencies of many organophosphate (OP) nerve agents and insecticides. 3. These cultures have been used to quantitate levels of OP in 'spiked' unknowns and in OP-contaminated soil samples. 4. These cells have also been used to test a variety of compounds using the MTT and neutral red cytotoxicity assays.