Main description:

This volume collects protocols and procedures utilizing cellular, tissue, and whole animal models that can be applied to the investigation of neurotrophic factors and other agents impacting on these systems. It begins with chapters on the culture of neurons and glia from the central and peripheral nervous systems, neuron-glia and glia-glia co-culture models, oligodendrocytes, and cell-based assays for the evaluation of cell vitality. This revised second edition expands to cover methodology encompassing site-specific direct labeling of neurotrophins and their receptors, angiogenesis assays, stem cells, pancreatic beta-cells, axonal transport, synapse biology, dendritic spine analysis, and brain endothelial cells. Subsequent chapters are dedicated to in vivo lesion models of relevance to nervous system pathology, which can be applied to the investigation of neurotrophic factors and peptides, as well as protocols describing nanofiber- and nanoparticle-based methods for brain delivery of neurotrophic agents. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Authoritative and practical, Neurotrophic Factors: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition is a valuable resource for a wide audience of readers as they explore nervous system function and pathology.

Contents:

1. Neurotrophic Factors: An Overview

Stephen D. Skaper

2. Ocular Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and NGF Eye Drop Application as Paradigms to Investigate NGF Neuroprotective and Reparative Actions

Paola Tirassa, Pamela Rosso, and Angela Iannitelli

3. Culture of Rodent Cortical, Hippocampal, and Striatal Neurons

Laura Facci and Stephen D. Skaper

4. Culture of Neonatal Rodent Microglia, Astrocytes, and Oligodendrocytes from Cortex, Spinal Cord, and Cerebellum

Stephen D. Skaper and Laura Facci

5. Central Nervous System Neuron-Glia Co-Culture Models and Application to Neuroprotective Agents

Stephen D. Skaper and Laura Facci

6. Preparation of Adult Rat Sensory Neuron Cultures and Their Application to Growth Cone Turning Assays

Christine A. Webber and Douglas W. Zochodne

7. Sensory Neurons from Tau Transgenic Mice and Their Utility in Drug Screening

Aviva M. Tolkovsky and Jack Brelstaff

8. Culture of Rat Mesencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons and Application to Neurotoxic and Neuroprotective Agents

Stephen D. Skaper, Massimo Barbierato, Vanni Ferrari, Morena Zusso, and Laura Facci

9. Culture of Neurons and Smooth Muscle Cells from the Myenteric Plexus of Adult Mice

Paola Brun and Hamid I. Akbarali

10. Astrocyte/Microglia Co-Cultures as a Model to Study Neuroinflammation

Laura Facci, Massimo Barbierato, and Stephen D. Skaper

11. Micropatterned Geometries Shape Oligodendrocyte and Microglia Plasticity

Cinzia Volonte, Adele De Ninno, and Susanna Amadio

12. Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cell Cultures: A Model to Screen Neurotrophic Compounds for Myelin Repair

Massimo Barbierato, Stephen D. Skaper, and Laura Facci

13. Cell Enumeration Assays: Application of the MTT and Sulforhodamine B Assays to Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Neonatal Rodent Microglia

Laura Facci and Stephen D. Skaper

14. Diolistic Labeling and Analysis of Dendritic Spines

M. Foster Olive, Armani P. Del Franco, and Cassandra D. Gipson

15. Culture of Mouse Giant Central Nervous System Synapses and Application for Imaging and Electrophysiological Analyses

Dimitar Dimitrov, Laurent Guillaud, Kohgaku Eguchi, and Tomoyuki Takahashi

16. Methods for Quantitative Analysis of Axonal Cargo Transport

Matias Alloatti, Luciana Bruno, and Tomas L. Falzone

17. Neuronal Cell Morphology in Primary Cerebellar Granule Cells Using High-Content Analysis

Nicholas Radio and Steven Frank

18. Nerve Growth Factor-Induced Angiogenesis: 1. Endothelial Cell Tube Formation Assay

Philip Lazarovici, Adi Lahiani, Galit Gincberg, Dikla Hacham, Arnon Fluksman, Ofra Benny, Cezary Marcinkiewicz, and Peter I. Lelkes

19. Nerve Growth Factor-Induced Angiogenesis: 2. The Quail Chorioallantoic Membrane Assay

Philip Lazarovici, Adi Lahiani, Galit Gincberg, Dikla Haham, Cezary Marcinkiewicz, and Peter I. Lelkes

20. Rat Pancreatic Beta-Cell Culture

Myrian Velasco, Carlos Larque, Carlos Manlio Diaz-Garcia, Carmen Sanchez-Soto, and Marcia Hiriart

21. Growth and Neurotrophic Factors in Embryonic Stem Cells

Micaela Pannella, Luciana Giardino, Laura Calza, and Mercedes Fernandez

22. Site-Specific Direct Labeling of Neurotrophins and Their Receptors: From Biochemistry to Advanced Imaging Applications

Francesco Gobbo, Fulvio Bonsignore, Rosy Amodeo, Antonino Cattaneo, and Laura Marchetti

23. Isolation and Culture of Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells for In Vitro Blood-Brain Barrier Studies

Hector Rosas-Hernandez, Elvis Cuevas, Susan M. Lantz, Merle G. Paule, and Syed F. Ali

24. Preparation of Rat Hippocampal Organotypic Cultures and Application to Study Amyloid -Peptide Toxicity

Maria Rosanna Bronzuoli, Roberta Facchinetti, and Caterina Scuderi

25. An Animal Model of Alzheimer Disease Based on the Intrahippocampal Injection of Amyloid -Peptide (1-42)

Roberta Facchinetti, Maria Rosanna Bronzuoli, and Caterina Scuderi

26. Active Induction of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in C57BL/6 Mice

Gabriella Contarini, Pietro Giusti, and Stephen D. Skaper

27. A Model of Systemic Inflammation to Study Neuroinflammation

Vincenzo Sorrenti, Pietro Giusti, and Morena Zusso

28. Spared Nerve Injury as a Long-Lasting Model of Neuropathic Pain

Serena Boccella, Francesca Guida, Enza Palazzo, Ida Marabese, Vito de Novellis, Sabatino Maione, and Livio Luongo

29. An In Vivo Compression Model of Spinal Cord Injury

Irene Paterniti, Emanuela Esposito, and Salvatore Cuzzocrea

30. A Controlled Cortical Impact Preclinical Model of Traumatic Brain Injury

Michela Campolo, Emanuela Esposito, and Salvatore Cuzzocrea

31. Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion by an Intraluminal Suture Method

Rosalia Crupi, Rosanna Di Paola, Emanuela Esposito, and Salvatore Cuzzocrea

32. Primary Motor Neuron Culture to Promote Cellular Viability and Myelination

Jun-Kyo Francis Suh and Sujin Hyung

33. Culture of Human Primary Bone Cells and Phenotype Assessment

Paola Brun

34. Recreating Intestinal Peristalsis in the Petri Dish

Rosa Espinosa-Luna, Alma R. Barajas-Espinosa, Fernando Ochoa-Cortez, and Carlos Barajas-Lopez

35. Synthesis of Biocompatible Titanate Nanofibers for Effective Delivery of Neuroprotective Agents

Asya Ozkizilcik, Roger Williams, Z. Ryan Tian, Dafin F. Muresanu, Aruna Sharma, and Hari S. Sharma

36. Preparation and Characterization of Biocompatible Chitosan Nanoparticles for Targeted Brain Delivery of Peptides

Muge Yemisci, Secil Caban, Eduardo Fernandez-Megia, Yilmaz Capan, Patrick Couvreur, and Turgay Dalkara