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Comparison of Primary and Secondary Rat Astrocyte Cultures Regarding Glucose and Glutathione Metabolism and the Accumulation of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

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Abstract

Astrocyte-rich primary cultures (APCs) are frequently used as a model system for the investigation of properties of brain astrocytes. However, as APCs contain a substantial number of microglial and oligodendroglial cells, biochemical parameters determined for such cultures may at least in part reflect also the presence of the contaminating cell types. To lower the potential contributions of microglial and oligodendroglial cells on properties of the astrocytes in APCs we prepared rat astrocyte-rich secondary cultures (ASCs) by subculturing of APCs and compared these ASCs with APCs regarding basal metabolic parameters, specific enzyme activities and the accumulation of iron oxide nanoparticles. Immunocytochemical characterization revealed that ASCs contained only minute amounts of microglial and oligodendroglial cells. ASCs and APCs did not significantly differ in their specific glucose consumption and lactate production rates, in their specific iron and glutathione contents, in their specific activities of various enzymes involved in glucose and glutathione metabolism nor in their accumulation of iron oxide nanoparticles. Thus, the absence or presence of some contaminating microglial and oligodendroglial cells appears not to substantially modulate the investigated metabolic parameters of astrocyte cultures.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Frank Dietz (University of Bremen) for providing the MAG- and anti-sheep-antibodies and Dr. Eva M. Luther for her help with the analysis of immunocytochemical stainings.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Biomolecular Interactions Bremen, University of Bremen, PO. Box 330440, 28334, Bremen, Germany

    Charlotte Petters & Ralf Dringen

  2. Center for Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology, Leobener Strasse, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Charlotte Petters & Ralf Dringen

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Correspondence to Ralf Dringen.

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Petters, C., Dringen, R. Comparison of Primary and Secondary Rat Astrocyte Cultures Regarding Glucose and Glutathione Metabolism and the Accumulation of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles. Neurochem Res 39, 46–58 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-013-1189-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-013-1189-7

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