DEVELOPMENT OF A METHOD FOR MEASURING CELL NUMBER - APPLICATION TO CNS PRIMARY NEURONAL CULTURES

In the present work we further develop a method for counting cell numb er that is totally independent from the permeability or uptake conditi ons of the cells, from the state of activation of intracellular enzyme s, and from cellular metabolism. We provide a visual characterization of the method and show that it is highly suitable for cells not growin g as monolayers as well as for cultures containing numerous aggregates . We also extend the applicability of this method to CNS primary neuro nal cultures and show its direct comparison with alternative means for cellular quantification. The technique is fast, does not require tedi ous procedures or long washes, and offers advantages such as a high se nsitivity and no background. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.