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Nestin expression persists in astrocytes of organotypic slice cultures from rat cortex
Author(s) -
SchmidtKastner Rainald,
Humpel Christian
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/s0736-5748(02)00003-5
Subject(s) - nestin , glial fibrillary acidic protein , gfap stain , biology , astrocyte , intermediate filament , neuroglia , microbiology and biotechnology , neurofilament , immunohistochemistry , pathology , neuroscience , neural stem cell , central nervous system , stem cell , immunology , cytoskeleton , medicine , cell , biochemistry
Nestin is an intermediate filament protein typical for neural precursor cells that is down‐regulated in the post‐natal rodent brain. Re‐expression of nestin has been observed in reactive astrocytes after injury. In this study, organotypic slice cultures from rat cortex were examined for expression of nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein between 2 and 8 weeks in culture. Immunoreactivity for nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein was seen in astrocytes which persisted throughout the observation period. Immunofluorescence double labeling showed widespread co‐localization of nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein. Image analysis revealed that levels of nestin‐immunoreactivity plateaued after 5 weeks in culture. By comparison nestin immunoreactivity was absent from glial cells of the cortex in mature rats. These immunohistochemical findings of a persistent expression of nestin in glial cells of organotypic slice culture of the rat cortex indicate a different time course of glial maturation in vitro. This difference could be related to the altered trophic stimulation in vitro; differences in neuronal maturation, activity or survival; slow degeneration of the vasculature; or intrinsic properties of astrocytes.