NMDA-induced injury of mouse organotypic hippocampal slice cultures triggers delayed neuroblast proliferation in the dentate gyrus: An in vitro model for the study of neural precursor cell proliferation

Abstract

We present a model for the study of injury-induced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) in murine organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHCs). A brief exposure of 8-day-old hippocampal slice cultures to the glutamate receptor agonist N-methyl- d-aspartate (NMDA; 20–50 µM for 30 min) caused a selective excitotoxic injury in the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus that matured over a period of 24 h. The insult resulted in a prominent up-regulation of proliferating nuclei within the OHC dentate gyrus (DG), and a corresponding increase in Ki67/doublecortin double-positive cells in the SGZ of the dentate gyrus. 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labelling of the OHCs for three days subsequent to the NMDA exposure revealed significantly increased BrdU incorporation within the DG (SGZ and GCL) of the hippocampus. Doublecortin immunofluorescence indicated a concurrent up-regulation of neuronal precursor cells specifically in the SGZ and GCL. Significantly increased BrdU incorporation could be detected up to 6–9 days after termination of the NMDA exposure. The model presented here enables easy manipulation and follow-up of injury-induced neuroblast proliferation in the DG that is amenable to the study of transgenic mice.