The influence of carbon dioxide concentration on the neurite outgrowth of mouse embryonic contical neurons in vitro.

• Autores: A. Dandov
• Localización: European Journal of anatomy, ISSN-e 1136-4890, Vol. 6, Nº. 1, 2002, págs. 9-12
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration of the incubation medium in nerve cell culturing has always been a matter of debate and is usually adjusted in a somewhat empirical manner. In the many laboratory protocols and manuals published to date, the data concerning this aspect differ. The goal of this study was thus to follow up the neurite outgrowth of cortical neurons in dissociated primary cultures obtained from seventeen- day-old embryonic mouse brains incubated in 90% air and 10% CO2, and in 95% air and 5% CO2 respectively. We recorded the density and confluence of the neuronal distribution in vitr o on the second, third and fifth day after establishing the cultures. Morphological evaluation to demonstrate viable cells was carried out by applying immunocytochemistry for microtubule- associated protein-2 due to its ubiquity in neurons. The results showed that neuronal survival, the rate of neurite outgrowth and the establishment of intercellular networks and synaptic contacts were more pronounced in cortical cultures raised in 10% CO2-containing incubation medium than in 5% CO2-containing incubation medium. From these results, it can be inferred that CO2 at a higher concentration plays a significant role in influencing the metabolic activities of embryonic cortical neurons in vitr o, thus probably determining their synaptogenesis and viability.