Financiado por el NINDS, Asociación Americana del Corazón, Federación Americana de Investigación del Envejecimiento, March of Dimes

1. Preparación Antes de comenzar, reunir los instrumentos que se requieren cirugía, la disección y medios de cultivo, y siete días de ratas de edad o crías de ratón. El protocolo es el mismo para el ratón y los preparativos de la rata. (I) Los materiales y equipos <ul><li> Tijeras de operación (tramo recto de 6 &quot;, cat # RS6818, Roboz, Gaithersburg, MD) </li><li> Micro Tijeras de disección, (longitud de 4 &quot;, cat # RS5910. Roboz, Gaithersburg, MD) </li><li> Pinzas de acero al carbono Dumont (cat # RS-5045.Roboz, Gaithersburg, MD) </li><li> Vidrio modificado con la &quot;transferencia&quot; pipetas (parte inferior de una pipeta Pasteur eliminado y se alisa el borde) </li><li> Aclar película de plástico cortadas a 2 &quot;x 2&quot; en las plazas (Honeywell, # 812071, Pottsville, PA) </li><li> Cubrir las esponjas 4 en el 3 en (Kendall, cat # 3157, Mansfield, MA) </li><li> 30 mm Millicell inserta la membrana (0,4 m; Millipore, Bedford, MA) </li><li> Mcllwain helicóptero de tejido con una hoja de afeitar de doble filo (chopper McIlwain tejido, la empresa Vibratome, St. Louis, MO) </li><li> Microscopio invertido con cámara CCD y el software de análisis de imagen </li></ul> (Ii) La disección media (DM, 1 litro a pH 7,3) <table border="0"><tbody><tr><td> Salina equilibrada de Hank </td><td> 1 vial (95,2 g/1L) (Sigma: H2387) </td></tr><tr><td> NHCO 3 (4,2 mM) </td><td> 350 mg </td></tr><tr><td> HEPES (10 mM) </td><td> 2,83 g </td></tr><tr><td> Glucosa (33,3 mM) </td><td> 6,0 g </td></tr><tr><td> Penicilina / estreptomicina (100 veces) </td><td> 10 ml </td></tr><tr><td> BSA (0,3%) </td><td> 300 mg </td></tr><tr><td> MgSO 4 7H 2 O </td><td> 1,44 g </td></tr></tbody></table> (Iii) medio de cultivo (400 ml) <table border="0"><tbody><tr><td> MEM (Invitrogen 11575-032) </td><td> 200 ml </td></tr><tr><td> *** Salina equilibrada de Hank (Invitrogen 24020-117) </td><td> 100 ml </td></tr><tr><td> Suero de caballo (Invitrogen 26050-070) </td><td> 100 ml </td></tr><tr><td> Tampón HEPES (1 M; 15630-080 Invitrogen) </td><td> 5 ml </td></tr><tr><td> Penicilina / estreptomicina (100 veces) </td><td> 4 ml </td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"> *** Añadir 12,8 g de glucosa a balancear las sales de 500 ml de Hank antes de medio de cultivo </td></tr></tbody></table> (Iv) los animales 7 días de ratas de edad o crías de ratón postnatal, por lo general una camada al experimento. 2. En el Día de la Cultura <ol><li> Todas las herramientas de disección y la película de Aclar deben ser empapados en EtOH al 70% durante 30 minutos antes de comenzar. La superficie de la campana de la disección, la cuchilla, y el chopper de tejidos deben ser desinfectados con etanol. </li><li> Prepare varias (3-4) 6 placas de cultivo de tejidos, añadir 1 ml de medio de cultivo por pocillo, e insertar una membrana Millipore permeable en cada pozo. Colocar placas de 6 pocillos en el 37 º incubadora hasta el momento de la transferencia de las rebanadas. </li><li> Prepare varias (4-6) 60 mm placas con DM y el lugar en el hielo. </li><li> Rápidamente decapitar con unas tijeras y baño en EtOH al 70%, y rápidamente exponer el cerebro con una incisión sagital del cráneo. Retire con cuidado el cerebro y el lugar de inmediato en frío DM. Separarlo en dos hemisferios y el lugar cada lado medial del hemisferio hacia abajo sobre una esponja cubierta por 2-3 segundos. </li><li> Con cuidado, levante y el lugar del hemisferio en la plaza película Aclar y el lugar en el helicóptero de tejido, cortar el cerebro coronal en 350 secciones micras. Cuando termine, quite suavemente la plaza Alcar con el hemisferio seccionado y se sumergen en el frío DM. </li><li> Utilizando un microscopio de disección, separar las secciones del hipocampo. Para ratas, no debe ser de 5 secciones que abarcan rostral a caudal hipocampo, y para el ratón debe haber secciones 3-4. </li><li> Sacar las placas de 6 pocillos con inserciones de la membrana de la 37 ° tejido incubadora cultura. Transferencia de rodajas de hipocampo de forma individual en las membranas permeables con la pipeta de transferencia de cristal. Si demasiado DM se libera en la membrana, eliminar el exceso de DM con una pipeta Pasteur. Coloque cinco rodajas de hipocampo de cada membrana. Deje por lo menos tres pozos por condición, o rodajas de 15. </li><li> Incubar las placas de cultivo a 37 ° en un 5% de CO incubadora humidificada durante 12-14 días antes de comenzar el experimento de toxicidad. El medio de cultivo se pueden cambiar dos veces por semana. </li></ol> 3. Inducir y cuantificación de lesiones del hipocampo neuronal en Cultura Cortar <ol><li> Después de 12-14 días de cultivo, agregar 5 mg / ml de yoduro de propidio (PI) a los medios de cultivo. Este paso permitirá la visualización y cuantificación de la muerte de células basales. </li><li> Al día siguiente, cuantificar PIfluorescencia en la subregión CA1 (y / o CA3 o dentada, si lo desea) de cada rebanada del hipocampo y obtener decir las medidas de fluorescencia PI representa la muerte de células basales (en adelante, el tiempo = 0 horas, o T 0). Para la adquisición de imágenes y la cuantificación, se utiliza software Openlab (Improvisación, Reino Unido), pero la adquisición de imágenes y otros software de análisis puede ser utilizado para cuantificar la intensidad de fluorescencia. </li><li> Inmediatamente después de la adquisición de la imagen de T 0 PI fluorescencia, inducen daño neuronal por el método de elección (se han utilizado 10 M de NMDA, el oxígeno de glucosa en la privación, o LPS durante una hora para inducir toxicidad neuronal 2,5). Después del estímulo tóxicos, reemplace medio por medio fresco que contiene 5 mg / ml PI y mantener rebanadas durante la noche. </li><li> El día 3, cuantificar significa PI fluorescencia de la condición experimental a las 24 horas, o T-24. </li><li> Después de esta adquisición de imágenes, de inmediato cambio de medio y añadir 10 M de NMDA y 5 mg / ml PI y las rodajas de incubar durante la noche para conseguir la muerte neuronal máximo. </li><li> El día 4, cuantificar media de fluorescencia PI de la muerte neuronal máxima, definida como T max. Calcular la muerte celular por ciento de la siguiente manera: (T 24 - T 0) / (T max-T 0). </li></ol> 4. Resultados representante <img src="/files/ftp_upload/2106/2106fig1.jpg" alt="Figura 1" /> Figura 1. (A) de la línea de tiempo para la generación de una lesión experimental del hipocampo y la posterior y la adquisición de la imagen. (B) Imágenes representativas de rodajas de hipocampo basal (T 0), 24 horas después de una exposición de 1 hora a 10 M de NMDA (T 24), y después de otros 24 ó 10 M de NMDA para obtener una lesión neuronal máxima (T max).

<ol>
	<li>Stoppin, L., Buchs, P. A., Muller, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+simple+method+for+organotypic+cultures+of+nervous+tissue.">A simple method for organotypic cultures of nervous tissue.</a> J Neurosci Methods. 37 (2), 173-173 (1991).</li><li>McCullough, L., Wu, L., Haughey, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Neuroprotective+Function+of+the+PGE2+EP2+Receptor+in+Cerebral+Ischemia.">Neuroprotective Function of the PGE2 EP2 Receptor in Cerebral Ischemia.</a> J Neurosci. 24 (1), 257-257 (2004).</li><li>Czapiga, M., Colton, C. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Function+of+microglia+in+organotypic+slice+cultures.">Function of microglia in organotypic slice cultures.</a> J Neurosci Res. 56, 644-644 (1999).</li><li>Newell, D. W., Barth, A., Papermaster, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Glutamate+and+non-glutamate+receptor+mediated+toxicity+caused+by+oxygen+and+glucose+deprivation+in+organotypic+hippocampal+cultures.">Glutamate and non-glutamate receptor mediated toxicity caused by oxygen and glucose deprivation in organotypic hippocampal cultures.</a> J Neurosci. 15, 7702-7702 (1995).</li><li>Wu, L., Wang, Q., Liang, X. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Divergent+Effects+of+prostaglandin+recetor+signaling+on+neuronal+survival.">Divergent Effects of prostaglandin recetor signaling on neuronal survival.</a> Neuroscience letter. 421, 253-253 (2007).</li><li>Hailer, N. P., Jarhult, J. D., Nitsch, R., R, . <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Resting+microglial+cells+in+vitro:+Analysis+of+morphology+and+adhesion+molecule+expression+in+organotypic+hippocampal+slice+cultures.">Resting microglial cells in vitro: Analysis of morphology and adhesion molecule expression in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures.</a> Glia. 18, 319-319 (1996).</li></ol>

Hay dos puntos importantes a seguir para asegurar resultados reproducibles y consistentes al replicar los experimentos. En primer lugar, es importante que la edad rodajas de hipocampo de 12-14 días antes de la experimentación. Con el aislamiento de corte, hay una respuesta microglial significativa, y microglia permanecerá activada durante un tiempo, con un retorno a un estado de reposo ramificado que ocurre a los 10 días in vitro 3,6. En segundo lugar, la intensidad media de fluorescencia PI es p...

the organotypic hippocampal slice culture model for examining neuronal injury

Cultivo organotípico parte del hipocampo es un método in vitro para examinar los mecanismos de lesión neuronal en el que es relativamente la arquitectura básica y la composición del hipocampo conserva una. El sistema de cultivo organotípico permite el examen de los efectos neuronales, astrocitos y microglia, sino como una preparación ex vivo, no se refiere a los efectos del flujo sanguíneo, o el reclutamiento de células inflamatorias periféricas. A tal fin, este método de cultivo se utiliza con frecuencia para examinar una lesión excitotóxica y de hipoxia en las neuronas piramidales del hipocampo, sino que también ha sido utilizado para examinar la respuesta inflamatoria. En este documento se describen los métodos para la generación de las culturas del hipocampo sector a partir de cerebro de roedores después del parto, la administración de estímulos tóxicos para inducir daño neuronal, y analizando y cuantificando la muerte neuronal del hipocampo.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Culture Model for Examining Neuronal Injury at JoVE.com

The Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Culture Model for Examining Neuronal Injury

El organoptypic modelo del hipocampo es una parte la cultura<em&gt; In vitro</em&gt; Modelo para examinar el daño neuronal en una variedad de paradigmas. En este artículo se describen los métodos para la generación de culturas de corte y la cuantificación de la lesión neuronal.

El organotípicos rebanada hipocampo modelo de cultivo para el examen de la lesión neuronal

Organotypic hippocampal slice culture is an in vitro method to examine mechanisms of neuronal injury in which the basic architecture and composition of ...

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Neuroscience

19.0K vistas.  Stanford University School of Medicine. El organoptypic modelo del hipocampo es una parte la cultura In vitro Modelo para examinar el daño neuronal en una variedad de paradigmas. En este artículo se describen los métodos para la generación de culturas de corte y la cuantificación de la lesión neuronal.

Video: The Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Culture Model for Examining Neuronal Injury

Organotypic Slice Culture of GFP-expressing Mouse Embryos for Real-time Imaging of Peripheral Nerve Outgrowth

For many purposes, the cultivation of mouse embryos ex vivo as organotypic slices is desirable. For example, we employ a transgenic mouse line (tauGFP) in which the enhanced version of the green fluorescent protein (EGFP) is exclusively expressed in all neurons of the developing central and peripheral nervous system1, allowing the possibility to both film the innervation of the forelimb and to manipulate this process with pharmacological and genetic techniques2. The most critical parameter in the successful cultivation of such slice cultures is the method by which the slices are prepared. After extensive testing of a variety of methods, we have found that a vibratome is the best possible device to slice the embryos such that they routinely result in a culture that demonstrates viability over a period of several days, and most importantly, develops in an age-specific manner. For mid-gestation embryos, this includes the normal outgrowth of spinal nerves from the spinal cord and the dorsal root ganglia to their targets in the periphery and the proper determination of skeletal and muscle tissue. 
In this work, we present a method for processing whole embryos of embryonic day (E) E10 to E12 into 300 - 400 micrometer slices for cultivation in a standard tissue culture incubator, which can be studied for up to two days after slice preparation. Critical for the success of this approach is the use of a vibratome to slice each agarose-embedded embryo. This is followed by the cultivation of the slices upon Millicell culture membrane inserts placed upon a small volume of medium, resulting in an interface culture technique. One litter with an average of 7 embryos routinely produces at least 14 slices (2-3 slices of the forelimb region per embryo), which varies slightly due to the age of the embryos as well as to the thickness of the slices. About 80% of the cultured slices show nerve outgrowth, which can be measured througout the culturing period2. Representative results using the tauGFP mouse line are demonstrated.

We present a method to prepare organotypic slices of mid-gestation mouse embryos for the cultivation and time-lapse imaging of peripheral nerve outgrowth.

Cultura rebanada de organotípicos que expresan GFP embriones de ratón de imágenes en tiempo real al crecimiento excesivo de Nervio Periférico

For many purposes, the cultivation of mouse embryos ex vivo as organotypic slices is desirable. For example, we employ a transgenic mouse line (tauGFP) in ...

Investigación

Neurociencias

Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures

The hippocampus, a component of the limbic system, plays important roles in long-term memory and spatial navigation 1. Hippocampal neurons can modify the strength of their connections after brief periods of strong activation. This phenomenon, known as long-term potentiation (LTP) can last for hours or days and has become the best candidate mechanism for learning and memory 2. In addition, the well defined anatomy and connectivity of the hippocampus 3 has made it a classical model system to study synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity4.
As our understanding of the physiology of hippocampal synapses grew and molecular players became identified, a need to manipulate synaptic proteins became imperative. Organotypic hippocampal cultures offer the possibility for easy gene manipulation and precise pharmacological intervention but maintain synaptic organization that is critical to understanding synapse function in a more naturalistic context than routine culture dissociated neurons methods.
Here we present a method to prepare and culture hippocampal slices that can be easily adapted to other brain regions. This method allows easy access to the slices for genetic manipulation using different approaches like viral infection 5,6 or biolistics 7. In addition, slices can be easily recovered for biochemical assays 8, or transferred to microscopes for imaging 9 or electrophysiological experiments 10.

We describe a method to prepare organotypic hippocampal slices that can be easily adapted to other brain regions. Brain slices are laid on porous membranes and culture media is allowed to form an interface. This method preserves the gross architecture of the hippocampus for up to 2 weeks in culture.

Organotípicos culturas rebanada hipocampo

The hippocampus, a component of the limbic system, plays important roles in long-term memory and spatial navigation 1. Hippocampal neurons can modify the ...

An Organotypic Slice Assay for High-Resolution Time-Lapse Imaging of Neuronal Migration in the Postnatal Brain

Neurogenesis in the postnatal brain depends on maintenance of three biological events: proliferation of progenitor cells, migration of neuroblasts, as well as differentiation and integration of new neurons into existing neural circuits. For postnatal neurogenesis in the olfactory bulbs, these events are segregated within three anatomically distinct domains: proliferation largely occurs in the subependymal zone (SEZ) of the lateral ventricles, migrating neuroblasts traverse through the rostral migratory stream (RMS), and new neurons differentiate and integrate within the olfactory bulbs (OB). The three domains serve as ideal platforms to study the cellular, molecular, and physiological mechanisms that regulate each of the biological events distinctly. This paper describes an organotypic slice assay optimized for postnatal brain tissue, in which the extracellular conditions closely mimic the in vivo environment for migrating neuroblasts. We show that our assay provides for uniform, oriented, and speedy movement of neuroblasts within the RMS. This assay will be highly suitable for the study of cell autonomous and non-autonomous regulation of neuronal migration by utilizing cross-transplantation approaches from mice on different genetic backgrounds.

This protocol describes an organotypic slice assay optimized for the postnatal brain and high-resolution time-lapse imaging of neuroblast migration in the rostral migratory stream.

Un ensayo Cortar organotípicos de alta resolución de imágenes a intervalos de tiempo de la migración neuronal en el cerebro postnatal

Neurogenesis in the postnatal brain depends on maintenance of three biological events: proliferation of progenitor cells, migration of neuroblasts, as ...

Organotypic Slice Cultures of Embryonic Ventral Midbrain: A System to Study Dopaminergic Neuronal Development in vitro

The mouse is an excellent model organism to study mammalian brain development due to the abundance of molecular and genetic data. However, the developing mouse brain is not suitable for easy manipulation and imaging in vivo since the mouse embryo is inaccessible and opaque. Organotypic slice cultures of embryonic brains are therefore widely used to study murine brain development in vitro. Ex-vivo manipulation or the use of transgenic mice allows the modification of gene expression so that subpopulations of neuronal or glial cells can be labeled with fluorescent proteins. The behavior of labeled cells can then be observed using time-lapse imaging. Time-lapse imaging has been particularly successful for studying cell behaviors that underlie the development of the cerebral cortex at late embryonic stages 1-2. Embryonic organotypic slice culture systems in brain regions outside of the forebrain are less well established. Therefore, the wealth of time-lapse imaging data describing neuronal cell migration is restricted to the forebrain 3,4. It is still not known, whether the principles discovered for the dorsal brain hold true for ventral brain areas. In the ventral brain, neurons are organized in neuronal clusters rather than layers and they often have to undergo complicated migratory trajectories to reach their final position. The ventral midbrain is not only a good model system for ventral brain development, but also contains neuronal populations such as dopaminergic neurons that are relevant in disease processes. While the function and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons has been investigated in great detail in the adult and ageing brain, little is known about the behavior of these neurons during their differentiation and migration phase 5. We describe here the generation of slice cultures from the embryonic day (E) 12.5 mouse ventral midbrain. These slice cultures are potentially suitable for monitoring dopaminergic neuron development over several days in vitro. We highlight the critical steps in generating brain slices at these early stages of embryonic development and discuss the conditions necessary for maintaining normal development of dopaminergic neurons in vitro. We also present results from time lapse imaging experiments. In these experiments, ventral midbrain precursors (including dopaminergic precursors) and their descendants were labeled in a mosaic manner using a Cre/loxP based inducible fate mapping system 6.

Organotypic Slice Cultures of Embryonic Ventral Midbrain: A System to Study Dopaminergic Neuronal Development in vitro

A method to generate organotypic slices from the E12.5 murine embryonic midbrain is described. The organotypic slice cultures can be used to observe the behavior of dopaminergic neurons or other ventral midbrain neurons.

Culturas organotípicos rebanada de mesencéfalo ventral embrionario: Un sistema para estudiar el desarrollo neuronal dopaminérgica In vitro</em

The  mouse is an excellent model organism to study mammalian brain development due  to the abundance of molecular and genetic data. However, the ...

Imaging Neuronal Responses in Slice Preparations of Vomeronasal Organ Expressing a Genetically Encoded Calcium Sensor

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) detects chemosensory signals that carry information about the social, sexual and reproductive status of the individuals within the same species 1,2. These intraspecies signals, the pheromones, as well as signals from some predators 3, activate the vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) with high levels of specificity and sensitivity 4. At least three distinct families of G-protein coupled receptors, V1R, V2R and FPR 5-14, are expressed in VNO neurons to mediate the detection of the chemosensory cues. To understand how pheromone information is encoded by the VNO, it is critical to analyze the response profiles of individual VSNs to various stimuli and identify the specific receptors that mediate these responses.
The neuroepithelia of VNO are enclosed in a pair of vomer bones. The semi-blind tubular structure of VNO has one open end (the vomeronasal duct) connecting to the nasal cavity. VSNs extend their dendrites to the lumen part of the VNO, where the pheromone cues are in contact with the receptors expressed at the dendritic knobs. The cell bodies of the VSNs form pseudo-stratified layers with V1R and V2R expressed in the apical and basal layers respectively 6-8. Several techniques have been utilized to monitor responses of VSNs to sensory stimuli 4,12,15-19. Among these techniques, acute slice preparation offers several advantages. First, compared to dissociated VSNs 3,17, slice preparations maintain the neurons in their native morphology and the dendrites of the cells stay relatively intact. Second, the cell bodies of the VSNs are easily accessible in coronal slice of the VNO to allow electrophysiology studies and imaging experiments as compared to whole epithelium and whole-mount preparations 12,20. Third, this method can be combined with molecular cloning techniques to allow receptor identification.
Sensory stimulation elicits strong Ca2+ influx in VSNs that is indicative of receptor activation 4,21. We thus develop transgenic mice that express G-CaMP2 in the olfactory sensory neurons, including the VSNs 15,22. The sensitivity and the genetic nature of the probe greatly facilitate Ca2+ imaging experiments. This method has eliminated the dye loading process used in previous studies 4,21. We also employ a ligand delivery system that enables application of various stimuli to the VNO slices. The combination of the two techniques allows us to monitor multiple neurons simultaneously in response to large numbers of stimuli. Finally, we have established a semi-automated analysis pipeline to assist image processing.

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) detects intraspecies chemical signals that convey social and reproductive information. We have performed Ca2+ imaging experiments using transgenic mice expressing G-CaMP2 in VNO tissue. This approach allows us to analyze the complicated response patterns of the vomeronasal neurons to large numbers of pheromone stimuli.

Las respuestas de imagen neuronal en los preparativos de la rebanada del órgano vomeronasal Expresando un sensor de calcio genéticamente codificados

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) detects chemosensory signals that carry information about the social, sexual and reproductive status of the individuals within ...

The Analysis of Purkinje Cell Dendritic Morphology in Organotypic Slice Cultures

Purkinje cells are an attractive model system for studying dendritic development, because they have an impressive dendritic tree which is strictly oriented in the sagittal plane and develops mostly in the postnatal period in small rodents 3. Furthermore, several antibodies are available which selectively and intensively label Purkinje cells including all processes, with anti-Calbindin D28K being the most widely used. For viewing of dendrites in living cells, mice expressing EGFP selectively in Purkinje cells 11 are available through Jackson labs. Organotypic cerebellar slice cultures cells allow easy experimental manipulation of Purkinje cell dendritic development because most of the dendritic expansion of the Purkinje cell dendritic tree is actually taking place during the culture period 4. We present here a short, reliable and easy protocol for viewing and analyzing the dendritic morphology of Purkinje cells grown in organotypic cerebellar slice cultures. For many purposes, a quantitative evaluation of the Purkinje cell dendritic tree is desirable. We focus here on two parameters, dendritic tree size and branch point numbers, which can be rapidly and easily determined from anti-calbindin stained cerebellar slice cultures. These two parameters yield a reliable and sensitive measure of changes of the Purkinje cell dendritic tree. Using the example of treatments with the protein kinase C (PKC) activator PMA and the metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) we demonstrate how differences in the dendritic development are visualized and quantitatively assessed. The combination of the presence of an extensive dendritic tree, selective and intense immunostaining methods, organotypic slice cultures which cover the period of dendritic growth and a mouse model with Purkinje cell specific EGFP expression make Purkinje cells a powerful model system for revealing the mechanisms of dendritic development.

We present a protocol that permits to view and to quantitatively asses the morphology of the dendritic tree of individual Purkinje cells grown in organotypic cerebellar slice cultures. This protocol is intended to promote studies on the mechanisms of Purkinje cell dendritic development.

El análisis de la morfología de células dendríticas Purkinje en cultivos de corte organotípicos

Purkinje cells are an attractive model system for studying dendritic development, because they have an impressive dendritic tree which is strictly ...

Paired Whole Cell Recordings in Organotypic Hippocampal Slices

Pair recordings involve simultaneous whole cell patch clamp recordings from two synaptically connected neurons, enabling not only direct electrophysiological characterization of the synaptic connections between individual neurons, but also pharmacological manipulation of either the presynaptic or the postsynaptic neuron. When carried out in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures, the probability that two neurons are synaptically connected is significantly increased. This preparation readily enables identification of cell types, and the neurons maintain their morphology and properties of synaptic function similar to that in native brain tissue. A major advantage of paired whole cell recordings is the highly precise information it can provide on the properties of synaptic transmission and plasticity that are not possible with other more crude techniques utilizing extracellular axonal stimulation. Paired whole cell recordings are often perceived as too challenging to perform. While there are challenging aspects to this technique, paired recordings can be performed by anyone trained in whole cell patch clamping provided specific hardware and methodological criteria are followed. The probability of attaining synaptically connected paired recordings significantly increases with healthy organotypic slices and stable micromanipulation allowing independent attainment of pre- and postsynaptic whole cell recordings. While CA3-CA3 pyramidal cell pairs are most widely used in the organotypic slice hippocampal preparation, this technique has also been successful in CA3-CA1 pairs and can be adapted to any neurons that are synaptically connected in the same slice preparation. In this manuscript we provide the detailed methodology and requirements for establishing this technique in any laboratory equipped for electrophysiology.

Pair recordings are simultaneous whole cell patch clamp recordings from two synaptically connected neurons, enabling precise electrophysiological and pharmacological characterization of the synapses between individual neurons. Here we describe the detailed methodology and requirements for establishing this technique in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures in any laboratory equipped for electrophysiology.

Pareadas Grabaciones de células enteras en organotípicos de hipocampo rebanadas

Pair recordings involve simultaneous whole cell patch clamp recordings from two synaptically connected neurons, enabling not only direct ...

The Analysis of Neurovascular Remodeling in Entorhino-hippocampal Organotypic Slice Cultures

Ischemic brain injury is among the most common and devastating conditions compromising proper brain function and often leads to persisting functional deficits in the affected patients. Despite intensive research efforts, there is still no effective treatment option available that reduces neuronal injury and protects neurons in the ischemic areas from delayed secondary death. Research in this area typically involves the use of elaborate and problematic animal models. Entorhino-hippocampal organotypic slice cultures challenged with oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) are established in&#160;vitro models which mimic cerebral ischemia. The novel aspect of this study is that changes of the brain blood vessels are studied in addition to neuronal changes and the reaction of both the neuronal compartment and the vascular compartment can be compared and correlated. The methods presented in this protocol substantially broaden the potential applications of the organotypic slice culture approach. The induction of OGD or hypoxia alone can be applied by rather simple means in organotypic slice cultures and leads to reliable and reproducible damage in the neural tissue. This is in stark contrast to the complicated and problematic animal experiments inducing stroke and ischemia in vivo. By broadening the analysis to include the study of the reaction of the vasculature could provide new ways on how to preserve and restore brain functions. The slice culture approach presented here might develop into an attractive and important tool for the study of ischemic brain injury and might be useful for testing potential therapeutic measures aimed at neuroprotection.

A protocol for entorhino-hippocampal organotypic slice cultures, which allows reproducing many aspects of ischemic brain injury, is presented. By studying changes of the neurovasculature in addition to changes in the neurons, this protocol is a versatile tool to study plastic changes in neural tissue after injury.

Ischemic brain injury is among the most common and devastating conditions compromising proper brain function and often leads to persisting functional ...

Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures As a Model to Study Neuroprotection and Invasiveness of Tumor Cells

In organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC), the morphological and functional characteristics of both neurons and glial cells are well preserved. This model is suitable for addressing different research questions that involve studies on neuroprotection, electrophysiological experiments on neurons, neuronal networks or tumor invasion. The hippocampal architecture and neuronal activity in multisynaptic circuits are well conserved in OHSC, even though the slicing procedure itself initially lesions and leads to formation of a glial scar. The scar formation alters presumably the mechanical properties and diffusive behavior of small molecules, etc. Slices allow the monitoring of time dependent processes after brain injury without animal surgery, and studies on interactions between various brain-derived cell types, namely astrocytes, microglia and neurons under both physiological and pathological conditions. An ambivalent aspect of this model is the absence of blood flow and immune blood cells. During the progression of the neuronal injury, migrating immune cells from the blood play an important role. As those cells are missing in slices, the intrinsic processes in the culture may be observed without external interference. Moreover, in OHSC the composition of the medium-external environment is precisely controlled. A further advantage of this method is the lower number of sacrificed animals compared to standard preparations. Several OHSC can be obtained from one animal making simultaneous studies with multiple treatments in one animal possible. For these reasons, OHSC are well suited to analyze the effects of new protective therapeutics after tissue damage or during tumor invasion. 
The protocol presented here describes a preparation method of OHSC that allows generating highly reproducible, well preserved slices that can be used for a variety of experimental research, like neuroprotection or tumor invasion studies.

Organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC) represent an in vitro model that simulates the in vivo situation very well. Here we describe a vibratome-based improved slicing protocol to obtain high quality slices for use in assessing the neuroprotective potential of novel substances or the biological behavior of tumor cells.

Culturas de rebanada Hippocampal Organotypic como un modelo para estudio neuroprotección e invasividad de las células tumorales

In organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC), the morphological and functional characteristics of both neurons and glial cells are well preserved. ...

Optogenetic Entrainment of Hippocampal Theta Oscillations in Behaving Mice

Extensive data on relationships of neural network oscillations to behavior and organization of neuronal discharge across brain regions call for new tools to selectively manipulate brain rhythms. Here we describe an approach combining projection-specific optogenetics with extracellular electrophysiology for high-fidelity control of hippocampal theta oscillations (5-10 Hz) in behaving mice. The specificity of the optogenetic entrainment is achieved by targeting channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) to the GABAergic population of medial septal cells, crucially involved in the generation of hippocampal theta oscillations, and a local synchronized activation of a subset of inhibitory septal afferents in the hippocampus. The efficacy of the optogenetic rhythm control is verified by a simultaneous monitoring of the local field potential (LFP) across lamina of the CA1 area and/or of neuronal discharge. Using this readily implementable preparation we show efficacy of various optogenetic stimulation protocols for induction of theta oscillations and for the manipulation of their frequency and regularity. Finally, a combination of the theta rhythm control with projection-specific inhibition addresses the readout of particular aspects of the hippocampal synchronization by efferent regions.

We describe the use of optogenetics and electrophysiological recordings for selective manipulations of hippocampal theta oscillations (5-10 Hz) in behaving mice. The efficacy of the rhythm entrainment is monitored using local field potential. A combination of opto- and pharmacogenetic inhibition addresses the efferent readout of hippocampal synchronization.

Optogenetic de arrastre de las oscilaciones Theta Hippocampal en comportarse ratones

Extensive data on relationships of neural network oscillations to behavior and organization of neuronal discharge across brain regions call for new tools ...