Neuronal soma and whole neuroglia of rat brain: a new isolation technique.

Minced rat brain softened by treatment with trypsin is disrupted by filtration through nylon and steel meshes to produce a suspension of free-floating cells and debris. The cells are separated and purified by centrifugation on discontinuous sucrose gradients. Preparations of neuronal perikarya, retaining stumps of processes, so obtained are 90 percent pure and yield 33.6 x 10(6) cells per brain (3 milligrams, dry weight). The glial cells, apparently intact with extensive branched processess, are about 70 percent pure by weight and are obtained in a yield of 6.6 x 10(6) cells per brain (2 milligrams dry weight). The neurons are smaller and have less lipid than the glial cells.