Propagation and histological characterization of a homotypic population of astrocytes derived from neonatal rat brain.

Tissue derived from the cerebra of 3-4 day old rats was minced, trypsinized and placed in tissue culture medium. Cells attained a monolayer in twelve to fourteen days when plated at a density of 10(2) cells/cm2. Selected culturing procedures designed to inhibit neuronal growth while encouraging glial growth yielded monolayers which consisted almost exclusively of astrocytes. Cells were identified using established morphological criteria for brain cells in culture. These observations were supplemented using certain histological and histochemical techniques frequently employed in investigative work for the identification of glial cells, particularly astrocytes. Results of all the above procedures indicate cell cultures which apparently consist exclusively of astrocytes. The preparation of such a homotypic population of normal, viable astroglial cells, derived from an animal universally used in investigative work on the nervous system, is perceived as an important contribution to the future study of glial characteristics and their interactions at morphological and functional levels.