Growth of adult superior cervical ganglion explants in serum-free media.

Neurite outgrowth from explants of superior cervical ganglion from adult rats can be achieved in a serum-free medium. Extensive neurite outgrowth occurred from ganglion explants maintained in Eagle's minimum essential medium supplemented with either 10% (V/V) fetal calf serum or 1% (W/V) bovine serum albumin and nerve growth factor. After one week in culture, the ATP content of explants maintained in the serum-free medium was slightly higher than that noted in explants cultured in the presence of fetal calf serum and amounts of phosphocreatine were significantly lower. Despite these differences in high energy phosphate content, the abundance and morphology of neuritic outgrowth were essentially the same from explants cultured in the two types of media. Comparable activities of a number of NADP+-dependent dehydrogenases were noted in explants maintained in the two types of media. Increases in the activities of the oxidative enzymes of the pentose pathway, which occur in axotomized ganglia in vivo, were observed in the cultured ganglion explants. NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase activity remained constant in ganglion explants in vitro, and measurements of this activity were employed in a new method to quantitate neurite outgrowth. The activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase in lyophilized neurite processes that had grown out onto a Millipore filter substrate correlated well with visual estimates of neuritic outgrowth. Substitution of delipidated for normal bovine serum albumin in the growth medium resulted in a significant decrease in neuritic outgrowth from ganglion explants from both adult and weanling rats. Addition of fatty acids to media containing delipidated bovine serum albumin enhanced neuritic outgrowth in explants of weanling rats. Thus, lipophilic substances bound to bovine serum albumin including fatty acids appear necessary for optimal growth of neurites from explants of the rat superior cervical ganglion.