Survival, morphology and adhesion properties of cerebellar interneurones cultured in chemically defined and serum-supplemented medium.

Cultures obtained from early postnatal rat cerebellum, grown in either chemically defined or in serum-supplemented medium containing 25 mM K+, contained predominantly (greater than 90%) small interneurones, mostly granule cells, with good and comparable viability (assessed by the retention of preloaded 51Cr). Neuronal survival was prolonged in the chemically defined medium, nerve cells living up to two weeks longer than in serum-supplemented medium, although the proportion of non-neuronal cells was not greatly increased. In the serum-supplemented medium neurones became organised into clumps connected by thick, fasciculated bundles of neurites by about one week in vitro. In comparison, in the chemically defined medium aggregation of neurones and fasciculation of neurites was markedly reduced even after 4 weeks in culture. The possible relationship between the organisation of neurones and the nature of the substratum, chemical factors in the medium as well as the surface properties of the cells is discussed.