In Vitro Adult Astrocytes are Derived From Mature Cells and Reproduce in Vivo Redox Profile

• Published in: Journal of cellular biochemistry Vol. 118; no. 10; pp. 3111 - 3118
• Main Authors: Souza, Débora Guerini, Bellaver, Bruna, Terra, Silvia Resende, Guma, Fatima Costa Rodrigues, Souza, Diogo Onofre, Quincozes‐Santos, André
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2017
• Subjects: ADULT/AGED ASTROCYTES; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Astrocytes; Astrocytes - cytology; Astrocytes - metabolism; Brain; Central nervous system; Cytoskeleton; Cytoskeleton - metabolism; Data processing; Energy metabolism; Glial cells; Glial fibrillary acidic protein; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - metabolism; Homeostasis; In vitro methods and tests; Inflammation; Inflammatory response; Information processing; Male; Metabolism; Mitochondria; Mitochondria - metabolism; MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTIONALITY; Oxidation-Reduction; Proteins; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Sox10; Sox10 protein; SOXE Transcription Factors - metabolism; Vimentin; Vimentin - metabolism; MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTIONALITY; ADULT/AGED ASTROCYTES; Sox10
• ISSN: 0730-2312; 1097-4644
• DOI: 10.1002/jcb.26028

ABSTRACT Astrocytes are versatile cells involved in synaptic information processing, energy metabolism, redox homeostasis, inflammatory response, and structural support of the brain. Recently, we established a routine protocol of cultured astrocytes derived from adult and aged Wistar rats, which present several different responses compared to newborn astrocytes, commonly used to characterize the role of the astrocytes in the central nervous system. Previous studies hypothesized that astrocyte cultures prepared from adult animals derive from immature precursors present in the adult tissue throughout life. Since our group has already demonstrated that the glial functionality of adult astrocytes differs from newborn cultures, the aim of this study was to confirm that our in vitro astrocytes were derived from mature cells. Therefore, we evaluated cytoskeleton proteins, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin, as well as Sox10, an essential marker of immature glial cells, in ex vivo tissue and in in vitro astrocytes from the same animals (1, 90, and 180 days old). In addition, we examined the mitochondrial functionality and the cellular redox homeostasis. Our results suggest that adult and aged astrocytes are derived from mature cells and that changes in mitochondrial parameters in ex vivo tissue were reproduced in in vitro astrocytes. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3111–3118, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Astrocytes are glial cells involved in virtually every function of the brain. Herein, we show that astrocyte cultures prepared from adult/aged brain are derived from mature cells and reproduce in vivo glial changes related to aging.