The following day, the coverslips with the labeled cells were washed four times in PBT for 5 min and mounted with Mowiol (anti-fading medium). Images were obtained by using see more either fluorescence microscopy and a digital camera or multiple confocal sections by Zeiss LCM 5100. Two-month old cultures were incubated with 0.001% acridine orange diluted in IPL41 for 1 h. After washing cells three times in 1 mL PBS, cells were observed using an epifluorescence microscope to check for viability. A total of 300 cultured cells from three wells were analyzed for fluorescent nuclei. For comparative morphological analysis, cultured cells were also stained with 0.01% Giemsa

solution and observed under a light microscope. Through the use of a simple series of dissecting methods we were able to establish primary oenocyte cultures isolated from Ae. aegypti pupa. Oenocytes were free of other

cells as demonstrated by our microscopy analyses, and a number of cellular characters were assessed. Oenocytes were analyzed both in vivo and in vitro via light microscopy, SEM, TEM and LCM. Serial sections obtained from the abdomen of Ae. aegypti pupa revealed that oenocytes were detected as clusters of large cells within the fat body or in close proximity to the integument ( Fig. 1a). In fresh preparations the oenocytes were completely detached from other tissues and could be easily distinguished and sorted from trophocytes ( Fig. 1b). Under TEM, pupa oenocytes were clustered and enclosed by a basal lamina (Fig. 2a). These cells had a central nucleus with a well-developed nucleolus and the condensed chromatin appeared in irregular Inhibitor Library mw granular clumps, especially around the edge of the nucleus (Fig. 2b). The cytoplasm is replete with mitochondria and translucent rounded shape vesicle-like structures with different sizes (referred simply as vesicles) (Fig. 2a and b). The mitochondria were strongly electron-dense

with distinct profiles (Fig. 2c), while these vesicles were closely associated in bundles and not dispersed through the cytoplasm Pyruvate dehydrogenase (Fig. 2b). In addition, the cytoplasm was almost filled with numerous narrow, coiled and tubular structures of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) (Fig. 2c, inset). Plasma membrane protrusions touching the delicate basal lamina also were detected (Fig. 2d), and labeling with ruthenium red indicated that such protrusions surround the cell cortex, forming the lymph space, except in the intercellular space (Fig. 2d–f). Once in culture, oenocytes could be kept viable for at least two months. The two-old month cultured oenocytes observed under phase contrast microscope (Fig. 3a) and stained by Giemsa (Fig. 3b) confirmed the presence of a single type of adhered cells, isolated or in clusters. Cell clusters were consistently greater in number than isolated cells. The SEM confirmed the presence of clusters and of isolated oenocytes (Fig. 4a–d).