Organotypic development of neonate rabbit hippocampus in roller tube culture.

Maintenance of organotypic cultures of hippocampus derived from neonate rabbit has not been previously reported. The study described here was undertaken to define the conditions most suitable for organotypic development, in vitro, of this structure. Slices of hippocampus, on flying cover-slips, were maintained on plasma clots in roller tubes, for periods of up to 6 weeks. The results showed that the explanted, immature hippocampus developed in a manner which parallels the in vivo development, previously described. Specifically, pronounced neuronal differentiation was noted as the cultures matured. There is evidence that the hippocampus of rabbit, in vivo, at 3 weeks of age has assumed the mature pattern of neuronal and synaptic differentiation. Such differentiation similarly occurred in the cultured hippocampus described in this study. This system would serve as an ideal tool in applications in experimental neuropathology, where the use of a model of a phylogenetically advanced central nervous system is preferred.