Figure 1. Cryopreserved primary rat cortical neurons and primary rat hippocampal neurons were thawed in classic neurobasal and B-27 medium and then plated into poly-D-lysine coated 96-well plates into B-27 Plus Neuronal Culture Medium (comprised of B-27 Plus Supplement (50X) and Neurobasal Plus Medium). Neurons were cultured for four weeks in B-27 Plus Neuronal Culture System and GlutaMAX supplement. Cells were then fixed and stained for neuronal dendritic marker MAP2 (green), neuronal cell body marker HuC/D (red), and nuclei (blue).
What are primary neurons?
Primary neurons are signaling cells from the brain that have been isolated directly from animal tissue. Primary neurons can be maintained in cell culture with high survival rates, but do not proliferate. Primary neuronal cells maintain a more natural phenotype than immortalized cell lines, so they are a better neuronal cell culture model for neuroscience experiments.
Primary cortical neurons are isolated from the cortex of the brain, whereas primary hippocampal neurons are isolated from the hippocampal region.
Primary cortical neurons and primary hippocampal neurons for your research needs
Gibco cryopreserved primary neurons are a convenient source of high-quality neuronal cells from rat or mouse embryonic brains. They exhibit high viability and purity, and they are suitable for functional studies such as calcium signaling and neurite outgrowth. Cryopreserved primary neurons provide excellent lot-to-lot consistency to minimize variability in your neuroscience experiments.
Primary rat neurons
Gibco primary cortical neurons and primary hippocampal neurons are available from two rat strains, Fisher and Sprague-Dawley. These primary rat neurons consistently deliver high viability, purity, and neuronal cell function. Unlike other commercially available primary rat neurons that generally yield 30% or lower post-thaw viability, Gibco primary rat neurons exhibit post-thaw viability in the range of 50–80%, and primary rat neurons grown in Neurobasal Medium Plus B-27 Supplement show minimum or absence of glial cell growth.
Primary rat neurons survive four weeks with the B-27 Plus Neuronal Cell Culture System
Rat neurons selection guide
Type | Cell source | Product | Cat. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
Cortical | Isolated from day-18 Fisher 344 rat embryos | Primary Rat Cortex Neurons, 1 x 106 | |
Primary Rat Cortex Neurons, 4 x 106 | |||
Isolated from Sprague Dawley embryonic day-18 rat embryos | Primary Rat Cortex Neurons, Sprague Dawley, 1 x 106 | ||
Primary Rat Cortex Neurons, Sprague Dawley, 4 x 106 | |||
Hippocampal | Isolated from day-18 Fisher 344 rat embryos | Primary Rat Hippocampus Neurons | |
Isolated from Sprague Dawley embryonic day-18 rat embryos | Primary Rat Hippocampal Neurons, Sprague Dawley |
Primary mouse neurons
Gibco primary mouse neurons are isolated from E-17 C57 BL/6 mice. When cultured in neurobasal medium with B-27 supplement, they maintain a high survival rate in long-term culture with minimal presence of other neural cells. These primary mouse neurons are capable of calcium flux in response to neurotransmitters within 7 days and demonstrate neurite outgrowth by 14 days.
Primary mouse cortical neurons can be maintained for at least three weeks.
Figure 2. Primary cortical neurons from mouse can be maintained for at least three weeks. Cells are stained with anti-MAP2 and anti-GFAP demonstrating a pure neuronal population and no detectable astrocytes.