Technical Reference #101

101.

Ampa Receptor Activation Is Rapidly Toxic To Cortical Astrocytes When Desensitization Is Blocked. Jeannie C. David; Kelvin A. Yamada; Mahesh R. Bagwe; and Mark P. Goldberg, Washington University, The The Journal of Neuroscience, 16(101), (1996)
Link To Paper

Abstract:
Alhtough cultured astrocytes express functional glutamate receptors they are generally resistant to excitoxic cell death.

Keywords:
astrocytes; glutamate; glutamate receptors; desensitization; cell death; calcium; Fura-2; electrophysiology; cyclothiazide; cell culture

Materials & Methods:
Swiss-Webster mice (l-3 d postnatal) as previously described (Rose et al. 1993; Goldberg and Choi 1993). Dissociated astrocytes were plated in media containing 10% equine serum 10% fetal bovine serum and epidermal growth factor (10 @ml) at a density of 0.05 hemispheres/ml into 24 well multiwell plates (Primaria Falcon Bedford MA) or at 0.2 hemispheres/ml into 35 mm dishes with glass coverslip bottoms (MatTek Ashland MA) coated with poly-D-lysine (Sigma St. Louis MO) and laminin (Collaborative Research Bedford MA). Cultures were maintained in a 5% CO-humidified incubator at 37°C

Microscopic Technique
Inverted Microscopy

Cell Type(s)
Astrocyte