Rat Midbrain Neurons: RMbN

The midbrain is a small part of the brain yet plays important functions in visual and auditory systems, motor control, alertness, sleep/wake, and temperature regulation. It contains the substantia nigra, a darkly pigmented region with high number of dopaminergic neurons, which is closely associated with motivation and habituation. Atrophies and diseases at midbrain seen in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and progressive supranuclear palsy affect balancing, gait and muscle control.  Studying midbrain neurons in those disease conditions will allow a better understanding of the disease mechanisms, physiopathologies, and advancement in drug development and therapies. Cultures of midbrain neurons can be applied for a variety of experiments including toxicity test, immunostaining, live cell imaging, co-culturing, electrophysiology, and more.