Apoptosis in cultured spinal cord slices of neonatal mouse
Author
Summary, in English
Organotypic spinal cord slices from neonatal mammals could be a powerful model for evaluation of cell survival but also cell death mechanisms. The aim of this study was to establish an in vitro model for investigating cell survival and mechanism involved in cell death in neonatal spinal cord slices. The spinal cord was sliced and incubated into culture medium. The MTT assay was carried out to assess the viability of the slices and fluorescent staining was used to study morphological features of apoptosis, where as nucleosomal DNA fragmentation was detected using agarose gel electrophoresis. The results of the present study demonstrated that the slices could be maintained in culture up to 14 days. Both neurons and glial cells died by apoptosis and application of a general caspase inhibitor neither affected slice survival nor nucleosomal DNA fragmentation after 24 h in culture. In addition, the inhibitor failed to block apoptosis in neurons and glial cells in the cultured slices. Our results suggest that in the cultured slices, apoptosis is the main reason for neuron and glial cell death, which occurs by a caspase-independent mechanism.
Department/s
Publishing year
2008
Language
English
Pages
109-116
Publication/Series
Iranian Journal of Science and Technology Transaction A: Science
Volume
32
Issue
A2
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Shiraz University
Topic
- Zoology
Keywords
- neonatal mouse
- Apoptosis
- MTT assay
- spinal cord slices
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1028-6276