Description
Astrocytes are the major cell type in the mammalian brain. They provide a variety of supportive functions to their partner neurons in the central nervous system (CNS), such as neuronal guidance during development, nutritional and metabolic support throughout life [1]. Numerous studies have demonstrated that astrocytes are among the most functionally diverse group of cells in the CNS [2]. Impairment of normal astrocyte functions during stroke and other insults can critically influence neuron survival. Retinal astrocytes are critical for the homeostasis of neurons and retinal function [3]. Apart from various neuropathological conditions, retinal astrocytes contribute to retinal vascular disease, retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma [3, 4, 5]. Rat retinal astrocytes (RA-r) are an excellent in vitro model for studying astrocytes under normal physiological and pathological conditions. RA-r from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from CD® IGS rat retina. RA-r are cryopreserved at passage one and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 10^5 cells in 1 ml volume. RA-r are characterized by immunofluorescence with antibody specific to GFAP. RA-r are negative for mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. RA-r are guaranteed to further expand for 5 population doublings under the conditions provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories. Recommended Medium It is recommended to use Astrocyte Medium-animal (AM-a, Cat. #1831) for culturing RA-r in vitro