Introduction

At present, over 23 million people in the United States suffer from central nervous system disorders. Globally, this number reaches a level of 368 million people. Yet, no effective therapy for the prevention or treatment of acute or chronic neuronal injury exists. As a result, identification of novel cellular pathways that determine neuronal survival and regulate programmed cell death or apoptosis in the nervous system become essential for the effective development of therapeutic strategies against neuronal injury. To achieve this goal, use of both in vitro and in vivo models of cell injury become essential to elucidate the mechanisms that determine intrinsic cell destruction and inflammatory cell demise.

In this chapter, we provide detailed methods for the preparation and analysis of experimental cell injury in several different cell and tissue animal models employed in the Maiese laboratory. The cell cultures from the central nervous system can provide a unique tool for the investigation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that are involved in acute and chronic neurodegenerative disease. The utilization of a cell culture system avoids the complex environment of tissue or animal models that require multiple cell types to function in concert. By using isolated living cells, studies can focus upon specific signal transduction pathways that determine cellular function and cellular response to injury. Ultimately, knowledge gained at the cellular level must be transferred into experimental animal models in order to fully comprehend the physiological and pathological function of the brain.