Abstract:

This perspective aims to put into context the recent article by Landuc-ci et al. (2018) on mechanisms involved in the neuroprotective effects of meloxicam on an organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs) model. In vitro cell cultures are the main method for studying large quantities of homogeneous cells in an isolated environment. Thus, the use of primary dissociated neuron, astrocyte, oligodendrocyte, microglia, or endothelial cell cultures has become a standard method in many laboratories, contributing substantially to a reduction in the number of in vivo assays. Cell cultures allow many different types of assays to be performed in research laboratories, such as survival, proliferation, cell signaling, or studies about the influence of toxic or protective drugs. However, cell cultures do not reproduce the com-plex cell interactions that occur in the whole organ. Thus, other approaches, such as organotypic cultures, have been developed in recent decades to better align models with in vivo situa-tions, with the goal of preserving the original structural and synaptic organization as much as possible. In this regard, the first studies were conducted using hippocampal slices from neonates at 2 to 23 days old.  The slices were maintained in culture at the interface between air and a culture medium. They were then placed on a sterile, transparent, and porous membrane and stored in petri dishes in an incubator. This method yielded thin slices that remained one to four cell layers thick and were characterized by a well-preserved organotypic organization.