5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine uptake discriminates living serotonergic cells from dopaminergic cells in rat midbrain culture.

Dissociated cells from embryonic rat midbrain develop in dissociated culture into glutamatergic, GABAergic and aminergic cells. The autofluorescent serotonin analogue, 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT), is taken up by a small population of cells that is immunoreactive to 5-hydroxytryptamine. Tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cells do not accumulate 5,7-DHT. 5,7-DHT uptake, therefore, is well suited for the identification of living serotonergic cells and their discrimination from dopaminergic cells.