Comparative Study of the Dyes Induced Citotoxicity in Cultures of Cerebelar Granular Neurons

Determining neural viability in cell cultures is an essential element in both fundamental and clinical research, including testing the efficacy of certain neuroprotective drug compounds. Therefore, for a more rigorous evaluation of neuronal death associated with either experimental conditions or experimental models of neurological diseases, it is important that the research method and especially the staining method does not produce additional neural injuries and does not change the number destroyed cells. In the present study we tested how several types of dyes: Trypan Blue (TB), Calcein AM, Hoechst 33342, Propidium Iodide and WST-1/Formazan, affect neuronal viability in cell cultures before and after hypoxia and also, which dyes are associated with a higher percentage of cytotoxicity.