Conditions are described which allow the preparation in vitro of pure (greater than 95%) microglial cell cultures isolated from newborn rat brain. Such ameboid cells cultivated in vitro can efficiently phagocytize opsonized latex beads and are capable of ingesting more (100-200 beads of 1.1 micron diameter per cell) and larger (6.4 microns) particles than other nerve cells, such as oligodendrocytes and astroglia. The microglial cells also show an important ecto-NAD+ glycohydrolase activity which is characteristic of phagocytic cells. We noted that the phagocytic capacity and ecto-NAD+ glycohydrolase of these cells were correlated and increased notably during the in vitro culture. Microglia cultivated in vitro appear to be a good model to study the activation of phagocytic properties in the central nervous system and corresponding modulation by natural or pharmacological immunomodulators.
        
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Bocchini V, Rebel G, Massarelli R, Schuber F, Muller CD (1988) Latex beads phagocytosis capacity and ecto-NAD+ glycohydrolase activity of rat brain microglia cells in vitro Int J Developmental Neuroscience6: 525-34
Bocchini V, Rebel G, Massarelli R, Schuber F, Muller CD (1988) Int J Developmental Neuroscience6: 525-34