PRIMARY CULTURE OF ASTROCYTIC GLIAL-CELLS FROM RAINBOW-TROUT, SALMO-GAIRDNERI L, BRAIN

A method is described for the preparation and maintenance of rainbow trout brain astrocytes in primary culture. A dissociated cell suspension was prepared from brains from young fish by mechanical sieving through nylon guazes, and the cells cultured in polylysine-treated plastic tissue culture flasks at 22°C. The resultant cultures were characterised by specific immunofluorescent staining using glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for astrocytes and Thy 1 for fibroblastic cells. The cultures were > 95% astrocytes with fibroblasts the only other cell type present. These highly enriched astrocyte cultures provide a unique system for various neurochemical, neurophysiological and biochemical studies of fish neural cells. Polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism will be an area of particular interest. © 1990.