Neurotrophic Factors

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

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2. Neurotrophic Factors: An Overview

   • Stephen D. Skaper

   Pages 1-17

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

   • Paola Tirassa, Pamela Rosso, Angela Iannitelli

   Pages 19-38

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

   • Laura Facci, Stephen D. Skaper

   Pages 39-47

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

   • Stephen D. Skaper, Laura Facci

   Pages 49-61

6. Central Nervous System Neuron-Glia co-Culture Models and Application to Neuroprotective Agents

   • Stephen D. Skaper, Laura Facci

   Pages 63-80

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

   • Christine A. Webber, Douglas W. Zochodne

   Pages 81-92

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

   • Aviva M. Tolkovsky, Jack Brelstaff

   Pages 93-105

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

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

   Pages 107-118

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

    • Paola Brun, Hamid I. Akbarali

    Pages 119-125

11. Astrocyte/Microglia Cocultures as a Model to Study Neuroinflammation

    • Laura Facci, Massimo Barbierato, Stephen D. Skaper

    Pages 127-137

12. Micropatterned Geometry Shape Oligodendrocyte and Microglia Plasticity

    • Cinzia Volonté, Adele De Ninno, Susanna Amadio

    Pages 139-154

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

    • Massimo Barbierato, Stephen D. Skaper, Laura Facci

    Pages 155-166

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

    • Laura Facci, Stephen D. Skaper

    Pages 167-178

15. Diolistic Labeling and Analysis of Dendritic Spines

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

    Pages 179-200

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

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

    Pages 201-215

17. Methods for Quantitative Analysis of Axonal Cargo Transport

    • Matias Alloatti, Luciana Bruno, Tomas L. Falzone

    Pages 217-226

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

    • Nicholas Radio, Steven Frank

    Pages 227-237

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

    • Philip Lazarovici, Adi Lahiani, Galit Gincberg, Dikla Haham, Arnon Fluksman, Ofra Benny et al.

    Pages 239-250

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

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

    Pages 251-259

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.

• Neurobiological research
• Animal models
• Cell vitality
• Neurons and glia
• Neurotrophin receptors
• Nervous system pathology

• Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

  Stephen D. Skaper

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