A neurotrophic factor (NTF) released from primary glial cultures supports survival and fiber outgrowth of cultured hippocampal neurons.

A nearly pure neuronal culture from embryonic rat brain (hippocampus) has been established in order to observe individual neurons during their in vitro development. This neuronal culture has been used as a test system for a neurotrophic factor (NTF) which is released into a serum-free defined medium, presumably by astrocytes, the dominant cell type in a primary glial culture from rat brain. NTF is essential for the development of the hippocampal neurons in cell culture. The number of neurons responding to NTF by neurite extension is highly dependent on the concentration of the factor in the culture medium. The amount of factor in serum-free glial conditioned medium can be estimated in a rapid (20-hour) bioassay.