Description
In recent years, the need to develop acceptable alternatives to conventional animal testing for neurotoxicity and developmental neurotoxicity has been increasingly recognized, and much effort is being directed toward the development of alternative models, utilizing mostly mammalian cells in culture but also non-mammalian model systems. In Vitro Neurotoxicology: Methods and Protocols presents a series of cellular, biochemical, and molecular methodological protocols in the area of in vitro neurotoxicology, with an emphasis on mammalian cell culture systems. Opening with a section on methodologies for preparing several cellular systems of variable complexity, amenable for in vitro neurotoxicological studies, the thorough volume continues with coverage of methods to measure cellular death and major mechanisms, methods for assessing mechanisms of nervous system cell toxicity related to impairment of cell signaling, while a final section illustrates additional methods for assessing important nervous system processes such as cell proliferation, neuritogenesis, and synaptogenesis. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology(TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective subjects, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, In Vitro Neurotoxicology: Methods and Protocols serves researchers with an interest in assessing or characterizing the potential neurotoxicity of environmental contaminants, drugs, or other chemicals. 1. In Vitro Neurotoxicology: An Introduction Lucio G. Costa, Gennaro Giordano, and Marina Guizzetti Part I: Model Systems 2. Primary Neurons in Culture and Neuronal Cell Lines for In Vitro Neurotoxicological Studies Gennaro Giordano and Lucio G. Costa 3. Determination of Metal Interactions with the Chaperone Hspa5 in Human Astrocytoma Cells and Rat Astrocyte Primary Cultures Evelyn Tiffany-Castiglioni, Yongchang Qian, Rola Barhoumi, and Ying Zheng 4. Microglia Cell Culture: A Primer for the Novice Anke Witting and Thomas Mller 5. Neural Stem Cells for Developmental Neurotoxicity Studies Roshan Tofighi, Michaela Moors, Raj Bose, Wan Norhamidah Wan Ibrahim, and Sandra Ceccatelli 6. Preparation, Maintenance, and Use of Serum-Free Aggregating Brain Cell Cultures Paul Honegger, Antoinette Defaux, Florianne Monnet-Tschudi, and Marie-Gabrielle Zurich 7. Neurospheres as a Model for Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing Ellen Fritsche, Kathrin Gassmann, and Timm Schreiber 8. Acute Hippocampal Slice Preparation and Hippocampal Slice Cultures Pamela J. Lein, Christopher D. Barnhart, and Isaac N. Pessah 9. Glia-Neuron Sandwich Co-Cultures: An In Vitro Approach to Evaluate Cell-to-Cell Communication in Neuroinflammation and Neurotoxicity Mariaserena Boraso and Barbara Viviani 10. In Vitro Models to Study the Blood Brain Barrier Hilary Vernon, Katherine Clark, and Joseph P. Bressler Part II: Cell Death 11. Measurements of Cell Death in Neuronal and Glial Cells Gennaro Giordano, Sungwoo Hong , Elaine M. Faustman, and Lucio G. Costa 12. Measurements of Neuronal Apoptosis Gennaro Giordano and Lucio G. Costa 13. Measurement of Isoprostanes as Markers of Oxidative Stress Dejan Milatovic, Thomas J. Montine, and Michael Aschner 14. Assessment of Glutathione Homeostasis Gennaro Giordano, Collin C. White, and Lucio G. Costa 15. Assessing Neuronal Bioenergetic Status Stephanie L.H. Zeiger, Jeannette N. Stankowski, and BethAnn McLaughlin Part III: Signaling in Neurotoxicity 16. Fluorescent Assessment of Intracellular Calcium in Individual Cells David P. Cox, Collin C. White, and Terrance J. Kavanagh 17. Homeostatic Regulation of Glutamate Neurotransmission in Primary Neuronal Cultures Victor Briz and Cristina Suol 18. Detection of Nitric Oxide Formation in Primary Neural Cells and Tissues Ronald B. Tjalkens, David L. Carbone, and Guoyao Wu 19. JNK3-Mediated Apoptotic Cell Death in Primary Dopaminergic Neurons Won-Seok Choi, Heather M Klintworth, and Zhengui Xia 20. Measurement of Proteasomal Dysfunction in Cell Models of Dopaminergic Degeneration Faneng Sun, Anumantha G. Kanthasamy, and Arthi Kanthasamy 21. Cell Signaling and Neurotoxicity: Protein Kinase C In Vitro and In Vivo Prasada Rao S. Kodavanti 22. Cell Signaling and Neurotoxicity: 3H-Arachidonic Acid Release (Phospholipase A2) in Cerebellar Granule Neurons Prasada Rao S. Kodavanti Part IV: Other End-P oints 23. Quantitative Assessment of Neurite Outgrowth in PC12 Cells Joshua A. Harrill and William R. Mundy 24. Measurements of Astrocyte Proliferation Marina Guizzetti, Terrance J. Kavanagh, and Lucio G. Costa 25. Quantification of Synaptic Structure Formation in Co-Cultures of Astrocytes and Hippocampal Neurons Pamela J. Roqu, Marina Guizzetti, Gennaro Giordano, and Lucio G. Costa 26. Volume Measurements in Cultured Primary Astrocytes Michael Aschner 27. Assessment of Cholesterol Homeostasis in Astrocytes and Neurons Jing Chen, Lucio G. Costa, and Marina Guizzetti 28. Dose-Response or Dose-Effect Curves in In Vitro Experiments and Their Use to Study Combined Effects of Neurotoxicants Matteo Goldoni and Sara Tagliaferri




