Immunocytochemical demonstration of both carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme II and glial fibrillary acidic protein in some immature rat glial cells in primary culture.

In glial cell cultures from newborn rat hemispheres we have demonstrated by immunocytochemistry the presence of carbonic anhydrase (CAII) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the same cell. These double-stained cells are detected between day 5 and day 13 after seeding. These cells could be morphologically identified as oligodendroblasts. At 5 days in culture about 10% of the cells containing CAII also contained GFAP. At 11 days only 2% preserved this property. After 13 days in culture GFAP was only localized in typical astrocytes and CAII in oligodendroglial-like cells. The presumption that the immature glial cells, which contained specific markers of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, became in our culture conditions essentially oligodendroglial cells is discussed.