CYTOFLUOROMETRIC QUANTITATION OF RETROGRADE AXONAL-TRANSPORT IN SINGLE DORSAL ROOT-GANGLIA NEURONS

A technique is described by which neurons from mouse dorsal root ganglia can be dispersed in single-cell suspensions suitable for quantitative cytochemical analyses. The neurons were intact as controlled by trypan blue exclusion test, and the cell size distribution of the dispersed neurons corresponded to that of untreated, intact ganglia. Horseradish peroxidase and Evans blue applied to cut sciatic nerve, were transferred by somatopetal intra-axonal transport and accumulated in corresponding dorsal root ganglia neurons. The tracers were retained during the preparation of cell suspensions. The accumulation of the fluorescent tracer Evans blue was quantitated by cytofluorometric measurements on individual neurons. © 1979.