CULTURE OF NEURONS FROM POSTMORTEM RAT-BRAIN

Live neurons from pathological postmortem brains may provide a better model to study the molecular and cellular events associated with neuro degenerative disease. The aim of this study was to culture neurons fro m adult rat brain, 1 and 2 h postmortem, in typical normothermic autop sy conditions. We reliably cultured cells up to 2 h postmortem, in hig h yield, with neuron morphology, staining for neuronal markers (microt ubule-associated protein 2, tau, and neurofilament 200). These neuron- like cells lacked glial marker staining (OX42 and glial fibrillary aci dic protein). Our results suggest that neurons may be cultured from au topsy donors who have died either with or without a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer or Parkinson disease. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scie nce Ireland Ltd.