Effect of culture in a rotating wall bioreactor on the physiology of differentiated neuron‐like PC12 and SH‐SY5Y cells

A variety of evidence suggests that nervous system function is altered during microgravity, however, assessing changes in neuronal physiology during space flight is a non‐trivial task. We have used a rotating wall bioreactor with a high aspect ratio vessel (HARV), which simulates the microgravity environment, to investigate the how the viability, neurite extension, and signaling of differentiated neuron‐like cells changes in different culture environments. We show that culture of differentiated PC12 and SH‐SY5Y cells in the simulated microgravity HARV bioreactor resulted in high cell viability, moderate neurite extension, and cell aggregation accompanied by NO production. Neurite extension was less than that seen in static cultures, suggesting that less than optimal differentiation occurs in simulated microgravity relative to normal gravity. Cells grown in a mixed vessel under normal gravity (a spinner flask) had low viability, low neurite extension, and high glutamate release. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using a rotating wall bioreactor to explore the effects of simulated microgravity on differentiation and physiology of neuron‐like cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 83: 574–584, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.