Name: the preparation of oblique spinal cord slices for ventral root stimulation
Uploaded: 2016-10-13T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Preparation of Oblique Spinal Cord Slices for Ventral Root Stimulation at JoVE.com

The authors thank Marin Manuel and Olivia Goldman-Szwajkajzer for their help in taking the photographs. The authors also thank Arjun Masukar and Tobias Bock for proofreading the manuscript. Financial supports were provided by the Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (HYPER-MND, ANR-2010-BLAN-1429-01), the NIH-NINDS (R01NS077863), the Thierry Latran Foundation (OHEX Project), the French association for myopathy (grant number 16026) and Target ALS are gratefully acknowledged. Felix Leroy was the recipient of a &#34;Contrat Doctoral&#34; from the Ecole Normale Sup&#233;rieure, Cachan.

&#160;The experiments were performed in accordance with European directives (86/609/CEE and 2010-63-UE) and French legislation, and&#160;were approved by the Paris Descartes University ethics committee.
1. Spinal Cord Slice Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Prepare the following solutions daily or one day in advance. If kept overnight, bubble with 95% O2 and 5% CO2 and keep refrigerated in tightly closed bottles.
	<ol>
		<li>Prepare Low Na + artificial cerebrospi...

<ol>
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S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gower's+tract+and+spinal+border+cells.">Gower's tract and spinal border cells.</a> Brain. 63, 123-124 (1940).</li><li>Morin, F., Schwartz, H. G., O'Leary, J. 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Oblique slicing of the spinal cord is important since it allows for unilateral stimulation of motoneuron pools and Renshaw cells at a single vertebral segment in a reliable, comprehensive&#160;and specific way. Furthermore, it allows for a quick, elegant&#160;and non-ambiguous identification of recorded motoneurons. Next, we will highlight&#160;the advantages of this&#160;technique compared to other slice preparation methods, and then we will stress out&#160;the most common pitfalls to avoid while performing this procedu...

Historically, motoneuron recordings using sharp-electrode were conducted in vivo on large animals such as&#160;cats or rats1 or on an isolated whole spinal cord in&#160;mice2. The emergence of the patch-clamp recording technique during the 1980s, called for direct access to the motoneuron somas as sealing needed to be achieved under visual guidance. Thus, spinal cord slice preparation has been readily achieved since the early 1990s3. However, early slice preparation often did not allow for the stimulation of the ventral roots. To the best of our knowledge, only two studies have reported successful stimulation of the ventral roots in transverse slices, and none was obtained from mice4,5.
In this article we present a technique to achieve viable spinal cord slices of neonatal mice (P2 - P11) in which the motoneuron&#160;pool&#160;retains its&#160;ventral root departing&#160;axons. Ventral root stimulation triggers antidromic action potential back into the somas of the motoneuron&#160;pool&#160;exiting from the same ventral root. It also excites the motoneuron collateral targets,&#160;other motoneurons6-10 and the Renshaw cells11-13. Since only motoneurons&#160;send their axons down the ventral roots, we use the recording of antidromic action potentials as a simple and definitive way to physiologicaly identify motoneurons10.
In addition to using potentially non-inclusive or misleading electrophysiological and morphological&#160;criterions to confirm the motoneuron&#160;identity, recent studies on spinal cord motoneurons also relied on tedious and&#160;time-consuming post&#160;hoc stainings16. Such identification is usually performed only on a sample of the recorded cells. Other identification strategies rely&#160;on mouse lines in which the motoneurons express endogenous fluorescence17-19. However, using genetically encoded markers may be difficult at a young age when marker expression is still variable or if the study already requires using a transgenic mouse line. Alternatively, antidromic action potential recordings can be performed routinely on all mice from the onset of cell recording. Experimenters working on intact spinal cord preparations in the cat, rat and mouse, have reliably used such identification techniques since the 1950&#39;s1,2,20,21. In optimal conditions, we were able to elicit antidromic action potentials from virtually all of the recorded motoneurons.
Furthermore, ventral root stimulation can be used to reliably excite other motoneurons22,23&#160;or their targets. the&#160;Renshaw cells10,24,25. We present here applications of the ventral root stimulation in the form of antidromic action potential recordings from motoneuron somas, as well as excitation of Renshaw cells.

<table >
	<tbody>
		<tr >
			<td >Na-kynurenate</td>
			<td >ABCAM</td>
			<td >ab120256</td>
			<td >dissolves better then other brands</td>
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		<tr >
			<td >KCl</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >P3911</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >NaH2PO4</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >P5655</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >sucrose&#160;</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >S9378</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr >
			<td >NaHCO3&#160;</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >S6014</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >CaCl2&#160;</td>
			<td >G Biosciences</td>
			<td >R040</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >MgCl2&#160;</td>
			<td >Quality Biological</td>
			<td >351-033-721</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr >
			<td >glucose&#160;</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >G5767</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td >ascorbic acid&#160;</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >A5960</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >Na-pyruvate&#160;</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >P2250</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >K-gluconate&#160;</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >P1847</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >EGTA&#160;</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >E3889</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td >HEPES&#160;</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >H4034</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >NaCl</td>
			<td >Sigma</td>
			<td >S9888</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >Agar</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A9799</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >QX-314</td>
			<td >Alomone</td>
			<td>Q150</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >Mg-ATP</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td >A9187</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >CsOH</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td >232041</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >Na-GTP</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td >51120</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >gluconic acid</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td >G1951</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >Cesium hydroxide solution</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td >232041</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >KOH</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td >P5958</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >Vannas Spring Scissors - 2.5mm&#160;</td>
			<td >FST</td>
			<td>15000-08</td>
			<td>only use for cutting the dura, might get damaged if cutting bones</td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >Stimulator</td>
			<td>A-M Systems</td>
			<td colspan="2">Isolated Pulse Stimulator Model 2100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr >
			<td >Vibratome</td>
			<td >Campden</td>
			<td >Vibrating Microtome 7000 - Model 7000smz-2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

the preparation of oblique spinal cord slices for ventral root stimulation

Electrophysiological recordings from spinal cord slices have proven to be a valuable technique to investigate a wide range of questions, from cellular to network properties. We show how to prepare viable oblique slices of the spinal cord of young mice (P2 - P11). In this preparation, the motoneurons retain&#160;their axons coming out from the ventral roots of the&#160;spinal cord. Stimulation of these axons elicits back-propagating action potentials invading the motoneuron&#160;somas and exciting the motoneuron&#160;collaterals within the spinal cord. Recording of antidromic action potentials is an immediate, definitive and elegant way to characterize motoneuron identity, which surpasses&#160;other identification methods. Furthermore, stimulating the motoneuron collaterals is a simple and reliable way to excite the collateral targets of the motoneurons within the spinal cord, such as other motoneurons or Renshaw cells. In this protocol, we present antidromic recordings from the motoneuron somas as well as Renshaw cell excitation, resulting from ventral root stimulation.

Confirmation of Motoneuron Identity Using Antidromic Action Potentials
Cell targeting
Motoneurons are found in the ventral horn (visible in red in Figure 2C). Start from the bundle of axons forming the ventral root and go up until the bundle disperses fully and one starts seeing large cells (long soma axis, above&#160;20...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Preparation of Oblique Spinal Cord Slices for Ventral Root Stimulation at JoVE.com

The Preparation of Oblique Spinal Cord Slices for Ventral Root Stimulation

We show how to prepare oblique slices of the spinal cord in young mice. This preparation allows for the stimulation of the ventral roots.

Electrophysiological recordings from spinal cord slices have proven to be a valuable technique to investigate a wide range of questions, from cellular to ...

The overall goal of this procedure is to prepare oblique slices of the spinal cord that allow for the stimulation of the ventral roots. The main advantage of this technique is that it allows motoneural identifications for ventral-root stimulation and to study the ventral cells enervated by motoneural axon collaterals. We first had the idea for this method when needing a reliable way to stimulate ventral cells.Individuals new to this method will struggle because of the difficulty to properly execute the different steps of the dissection. Begin by perfusing a P2 to P11 mouse with low-sodium ACSF. After decapitating the mouse and removing the skin on the back, make two cuts through the shoulders and down the rib cage.Then, cut the spinal cord as low as possible in the caudal section to isolate the vertebral column and ribs from the lower part of the animal. Flip the vertebral column and remove the viscera still attached to the ribs. Transfer the vertebral column to another smaller, silicon-filled Petri dish.Add cold ACSF and bubble with carbogen and use four insect pins to hold the tissue dorsal-side up. Then perform a laminectomy of the dorsal side by first inserting the tip of fine scissors between the bone and the spinal cord and cutting the bone from the rostral end, making sure to stay away from the white matter. Alternate the cuts on each side while using tweezers to hold the band of bone already cut away.Next, use small tweezers to lift the dura and small scissors to cut along the rostral caudal access on both sides. Removal of the dura is a critical step. It is well worth spending a few extra minutes to do this thoroughly.Once the dura is removed, use a blunt glass tip to gently push cord towards the left side of the groove formed by half-cut spinal column. Then cut the ventral and dorsal roots on the bright side as far as possible from where they enter the cord. Repeat the operation on the left side, always going from rostral to caudal.After dissection, slip the spinal cord out of the vertebral column. Then use a small insect pin to secure the cord for the dorsal surface-up. Delicately remove any pieces of attached membrane.Once cleaned, trim both ends of the cord and insert a bent insect pin into the anterior part of the cord to mark its orientation. Then transfer the spinal cord to ice-cold intracellular solution. Next, cool the previously prepared molten agar on a mixture of ice and water.Stir the agar while measuring the temperature. When the temperature of the agar reaches 38 degrees Celsius, hold the spinal cord by the insect pin and immerse it in the agar, rostral-side down. Make sure the spinal cord is as straight as possible, away from the walls, with the caudal part slightly upward.Leave the beaker in the mixture of ice and water to allow the agar to solidify around the cord as quickly as possible. After solidification, cut the agar block containing the spinal cord in such a way that the base of the block is at a 35-degree angle with the lumbar part of the cord. The dorsal surface should be facing away from the base.Glue the block into the chamber of the vibratome, using cyanoacrylate glue. It is critical to mount the block correctly to maintain the continuity of the motor pools with the ventral roots from which they exit. Immerse the block in potassium gluconate solution.Set the vibratome parameters. Next, cut 350 400 micron-thick slices of the lumbar region, which is identifiable by its curvature and larger diameter. Transfer the suitable slices to ACSF at 34 degrees Celsius.Typically, there are four to five suitable slices with ventral roots extending two millimeters or more. After approximately 30 minutes at 34 degrees Celsius, cool the slices to room temperature, then begin the recording session. Prepare a box of various pipettes with tip diameters ranging from 40 to 170 microns in advance.To prepare the section pipettes, select pipettes with a long tapure. Then, using a diamond knife, make cuts at different positions and under a dissecting microscope, break each pipette by hitting the tip with tweezers. Next, remove the chamber from the recording microscope and place it under a dissecting microscope.Select a slice that contains a ventral root of sufficient length to be mounted on a suction-stimulation electrode. Mount the slice, orienting it with the ventral roots upward, then delicately cut the agar around the ventral roots while leaving the rest of the agar around the slice and place the grid to hold the sample down. Mount the chamber back onto the microscope and continuously perfuse the recording chamber with ACSF at a rate of one to two milliliters per minute at room temperature.Using a glass pipette filled with ACSF and connected to a syringe, suck one of the ventral roots. In order to achieve good stimulation of the ventral root, the pipette tip needs to be tight around the ventral root. Achieve patch-clamp recording of the desired cell type and record the effect of the ventral root stimulation as described previously.This image shows the results from voltage-clamp recording. The recordings of the upper panels are taken from different motoneurons than the ones in the bottom panels. The upper panel shows the antidromic response of a motoneuron to a one-volt stimulation in red, and a five-volt stimulation in black.The lower trace shows the orthodromic action potential response to a 20-volt stimulation in red, and a 30-volt stimulation in black. Black dots indicate stimulus timing. The double arrow heads emphasize the difference in latencies between ortho-and antidromic spikes.Here, current clamp recordings are shown. The upper panel shows the antidromic response to 10-volt and 15-volt stimulations in red and black, respectively. The lower panel shows the orthodromic response to 25-and 40-volt stimulations in red and black, respectively.Again, the stimulus timing and differences in latencies are indicated. This image of the Renshaw cell pool was acquired using an oblique condenser and a 20x objective. Note the motoneuron axons merging into the ventral root as shown by the arrow.This image of the same region was taken using a 40x objective. Putative Renshaw cells are indicated with arrow heads. Shown here is a voltage-clamp recording of a Renshaw cell following stimulation of the ventral root, indicated by the black dot.QX-314 in the intracellular solution prevented the cell from firing and glycine and gaba responses were blocked by 3 micromolar gabazine and one micromolar strychnine, respectively. The red trace is the average of the gray ones. Once mastered, this technique can be performed in 20 or 30 minutes.While attempting this procedure, it's important to remember to keep the preparation in cold medium at all time. After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to prepare oblique slices of spinal cord suitable for ventral-root stimulation. Ventral-root stimulation can be used to easily confirm the motoneural identity, and more importantly, to reliably stimulate the ventral cells.

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Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

Spinal Cord Electrophysiology II: Extracellular Suction Electrode Fabrication

Development of neural circuitries and locomotion can be studied using neonatal rodent spinal cord central pattern generator (CPG) behavior. We demonstrate a method to fabricate suction electrodes that are used to examine CPG activity, or fictive locomotion, in dissected rodent spinal cords. The rodent spinal cords are placed in artificial cerebrospinal fluid and the ventral roots are drawn into the suction electrode. The electrode is constructed by modifying a commercially available suction electrode. A heavier silver wire is used instead of the standard wire given by the commercially available electrode. The glass tip on the commercial electrode is replaced with a plastic tip for increased durability. We prepare hand drawn electrodes and electrodes made from specific sizes of tubing, allowing consistency and reproducibility. Data is collected using an amplifier and neurogram acquisition software. Recordings are performed on an air table within a Faraday cage to prevent mechanical and electrical interference, respectively.

A demonstration of the fabrication and use of an extracellular suction electrode used to measure electrophysiological recordings of neonatal rodent spinal cords in vitro

Development of neural circuitries and locomotion can be studied using neonatal rodent spinal cord central pattern generator (CPG) behavior. We demonstrate ...

Whole Mount Preparation of the Adult Drosophila Ventral Nerve Cord for Giant Fiber Dye Injection

To analyze the axonal and dendritic morphology of neurons, it is essential to obtain accurate labeling of neuronal structures. Preparing well labeled samples with little to no tissue damage enables us to analyze cell morphology and to compare individual samples to each other, hence allowing the identification of mutant anomalies.
In the demonstrated dissection method the nervous system remains mostly inside the adult fly. Through a dorsal incision, the abdomen and thorax are opened and most of the internal organs are removed. Only the dorsal side of the ventral nerve cord (VNC) and the cervical connective 
(CvC) containing the big axons of the giant fibers (GFs)1 are exposed, while the brain containing the GF cell body and dendrites remains2 in the 
intact head. In this preparation most nerves of the VNC should remain attached to their muscles. 
Following the dissection, the intracellular filling of the giant fiber (GF) with a fluorescent dye is demonstrated. In the CvC the GF axons are located at the dorsal surface and thus can be easily visualized under a microscope with differential interference contrast (DIC) optics. This allows the injection of the GF axons with dye at this site to label the entire GF including the axons and their terminals in the VNC. This method results in reliable and strong staining of the GFs allowing the neurons to be imaged immediately after filling with an epifluorescent microscope. Alternatively, the fluorescent signal can be enhanced using standard immunohistochemistry procedures3 suitable for high resolution confocal microscopy.

Whole Mount Preparation of the Adult Drosophila Ventral Nerve Cord for Giant Fiber Dye Injection

An in vivo dissection of the adult Drosophila ventral nerve cord (VNC) is demonstrated. This particular dissection method causes little damage to the VNC allowing the subsequent labeling of the giant fiber neurons with fluorescent dye for high resolution imaging.

To analyze the axonal and dendritic morphology of neurons, it is essential to obtain accurate labeling of neuronal structures. Preparing well labeled ...

Preparation of Parasagittal Slices for the Investigation of Dorsal-ventral Organization of the Rodent Medial Entorhinal Cortex

Computation in the brain relies on neurons responding appropriately to their synaptic inputs. Neurons differ in their complement and distribution of membrane ion channels that determine how they respond to synaptic inputs. However, the relationship between these cellular properties and neuronal function in behaving animals is not well understood. One approach to this problem is to investigate topographically organized neural circuits in which the position of individual neurons maps onto information they encode or computations they carry out1. Experiments using this approach suggest principles for tuning of synaptic responses underlying information encoding in sensory and cognitive circuits2,3.
The topographical organization of spatial representations along the dorsal-ventral axis of the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) provides an opportunity to establish relationships between cellular mechanisms and computations important for spatial cognition. Neurons in layer II of the rodent MEC encode location using grid-like firing fields4-6. For neurons found at dorsal positions in the MEC the distance between the individual firing fields that form a grid is on the order of 30 cm, whereas for neurons at progressively more ventral positions this distance increases to greater than 1 m. Several studies have revealed cellular properties of neurons in layer II of the MEC that, like the spacing between grid firing fields, also differ according to their dorsal-ventral position, suggesting that these cellular properties are important for spatial computation2,7-10.
Here we describe procedures for preparation and electrophysiological recording from brain slices that maintain the dorsal-ventral extent of the MEC enabling investigation of the topographical organization of biophysical and anatomical properties of MEC neurons. The dorsal-ventral position of identified neurons relative to anatomical landmarks is difficult to establish accurately with protocols that use horizontal slices of MEC7,8,11,12, as it is difficult to establish reference points for the exact dorsal-ventral location of the slice. The procedures we describe enable accurate and consistent measurement of location of recorded cells along the dorsal-ventral axis of the MEC as well as visualization of molecular gradients2,10. The procedures have been developed for use with adult mice (&gt; 28 days) and have been successfully employed with mice up to 1.5 years old. With adjustments they could be used with younger mice or other rodent species. A standardized system of preparation and measurement will aid systematic investigation of the cellular and microcircuit properties of this area.

We describe procedures for preparation and electrophysiological recording from brain slices that maintain the dorsal-ventral axis of the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). Because neural encoding of location follows a dorsal-ventral organization within the MEC, these procedures facilitate investigation of cellular mechanisms important for navigation and memory.

Computation in the brain relies on neurons responding appropriately to their synaptic inputs. Neurons differ in their complement and distribution of ...

Hydraulic Extrusion of the Spinal Cord and Isolation of Dorsal Root Ganglia in Rodents

Traditionally, the spinal cord is isolated by laminectomy, i.e. by breaking open the spinal vertebrae one at a time. This is both time consuming and may result in damage to the spinal cord caused by the dissection process. Here, we show how the spinal cord can be extruded using hydraulic pressure. Handling time is significantly reduced to only a few minutes, likely decreasing protein damage. The low risk of damage to the spinal cord tissue improves subsequent immunohistochemical analysis. By performing hydraulic spinal cord extrusion instead of traditional laminectomy, the rodents can further be used for DRG isolation, thereby lowering the number of animals and allowing analysis across tissues from the same rodent. We demonstrate a consistent method to identify and isolate the DRGs according to their localization relative to the costae. It is, however, important to adjust this method to the particular animal used, as the number of spinal cord segments, both thoracic and lumbar, may vary according to animal type and strain. In addition, we illustrate further processing examples of the isolated tissues.

Here, we present a protocol for hydraulic extrusion of the spinal cord as well as identification and isolation of specific dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) in the same rodent. Compared to standard spinal cord isolation methods, this method is significantly faster and reduces the risk of tissue damage.

Traditionally, the spinal cord is isolated by laminectomy, i.e. by breaking open the spinal vertebrae one at a time. This is both time consuming and may ...

Zebrafish In Situ Spinal Cord Preparation for Electrophysiological Recordings from Spinal Sensory and Motor Neurons

Zebrafish, first introduced as a developmental model, have gained popularity in many other fields. The ease of rearing large numbers of rapidly developing organisms, combined with the embryonic optical clarity, served as initial compelling attributes of this model. Over the past two decades, the success of this model has been further propelled by its amenability to large-scale mutagenesis screens and by the ease of transgenesis. More recently, gene-editing approaches have extended the power of the model.
For neurodevelopmental studies, the zebrafish embryo and larva provide a model to which multiple methods can be applied. Here, we focus on methods that allow the study of an essential property of neurons, electrical excitability. Our preparation for the electrophysiological study of zebrafish spinal neurons involves the use of veterinarian suture glue to secure the preparation to a recording chamber. Alternative methods for recording from zebrafish embryos and larvae involve the attachment of the preparation to the chamber using a fine tungsten pin1,2,3,4,5. A tungsten pin is most often used to mount the preparation in a lateral orientation, although it has been used to mount larvae dorsal-side up4. The suture glue has been used to mount embryos and larvae in both orientations. Using the glue, a minimal dissection can be performed, allowing access to spinal neurons without the use of an enzymatic treatment, thereby avoiding any resultant damage. However, for larvae, it is necessary to apply a brief enzyme treatment to remove the muscle tissue surrounding the spinal cord. The methods described here have been used to study the intrinsic electrical properties of motor neurons, interneurons, and sensory neurons at several developmental stages6,7,8,9.

Zebrafish In Situ Spinal Cord Preparation for Electrophysiological Recordings from Spinal Sensory and Motor Neurons

This manuscript describes methods for electrophysiological recordings from spinal neurons of zebrafish embryos and larvae. The preparation maintains neurons in situ and often involves minimum dissection. These methods allow for the electrophysiological study of a variety of spinal neurons, from the initial electrical excitability acquisition through the early larval stages.

Zebrafish, first introduced as a developmental model, have gained popularity in many other fields. The ease of rearing large numbers of rapidly developing ...

Preparation of Acute Spinal Cord Slices for Whole-cell Patch-clamp Recording in Substantia Gelatinosa Neurons

Recent whole-cell patch-clamp studies from substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons have provided a large body of information about the spinal mechanisms underlying sensory transmission, nociceptive regulation, and chronic pain or itch development. Implementations of electrophysiological recordings together with morphological studies based on the utility of acute spinal cord slices have further improved our understanding of neuronal properties and the composition of local circuitry in SG. Here, we present a detailed and practical guide for the preparation of spinal cord slices and show representative whole-cell recording and morphological results. This protocol permits ideal neuronal preservation and can mimic in vivo conditions to a certain extent. In summary, the ability to obtain an in vitro preparation of spinal cord slices enables stable current- and voltage-clamp recordings and could thus facilitate detailed investigations into the intrinsic membrane properties, local circuitry and neuronal structure using diverse experimental approaches.

Here, we describe the essential steps for whole-cell patch-clamp recordings made from substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons in the in vitro spinal cord slice. This method allows the intrinsic membrane properties, synaptic transmission and morphological characterization of SG neurons to be studied.

Recent whole-cell patch-clamp studies from substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons have provided a large body of information about the spinal mechanisms ...

Preparation of Rhythmically-active In Vitro Neonatal Rodent Brainstem-spinal Cord and Thin Slice

Mammalian inspiratory rhythm is generated from a neuronal network in a region of the medulla called the preB&#246;tzinger complex (pBC), which produces a signal driving the rhythmic contraction of inspiratory muscles. Rhythmic neural activity generated in the pBC and carried to other neuronal pools to drive the musculature of breathing may be studied using various approaches, including en bloc nerve recordings and transverse slice recordings. However, previously published methods have not extensively described the brainstem-spinal cord dissection process in a transparent and reproducible manner for future studies. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of a method used to reproducibly cut rhythmically-active brainstem slices containing the necessary and sufficient neuronal circuitry for generating and transmitting inspiratory drive. This work builds upon previous brainstem-spinal cord electrophysiology protocols to enhance the likelihood of reliably obtaining viable and rhythmically-active slices for recording neuronal output from the pBC, hypoglossal premotor neurons (XII pMN), and hypoglossal motor neurons (XII MN). The work presented expands upon previous published methods by providing detailed, step-by-step illustrations of the dissection, from whole rat pup, to in vitro slice containing the XII rootlets.

This protocol both visually communicates the brainstem-spinal cord preparation and clarifies the preparation of brainstem transverse slices in a comprehensive step-by-step manner. It was designed to increase reproducibility and enhance the likelihood of obtaining viable, long lasting, rhythmically-active slices for recording neural output from the respiratory regions of the brainstem.

Mammalian inspiratory rhythm is generated from a neuronal network in a region of the medulla called the preB&#246;tzinger complex (pBC), which produces a ...

Intra-Arterial Delivery of Neural Stem Cells to the Rat and Mouse Brain: Application to Cerebral Ischemia

Neural stem cell (NSC) therapy is an emerging innovative treatment for stroke, traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disorders. As compared to intracranial delivery, intra-arterial administration of NSCs is less invasive and produces a more diffuse distribution of NSCs within the brain parenchyma. Further, intra-arterial delivery allows the first-pass effect in the brain circulation, lessening the potential for trapping of cells in peripheral organs, such as liver and spleen, a complication associated with peripheral injections. Here, we detail the methodology, in both mice and rats, for delivery of NSCs through the common carotid artery (mouse) or external carotid artery (rat) to the ipsilateral hemisphere after an ischemic stroke. Using GFP-labeled NSCs, we illustrate the widespread distribution achieved throughout the rodent ipsilateral hemisphere at 1 d, 1 week and 4 weeks after postischemic delivery, with a higher density in or near the ischemic injury site. In addition to long-term survival, we show evidence of differentiation of GFP-labeled cells at 4 weeks. The intra-arterial delivery approach described here for NSCs can also be used for administration of therapeutic compounds, and thus has broad applicability to varied CNS injury and disease models across multiple species.

A method for delivering neural stem cells, adaptable for injecting solutions or suspensions, through the common carotid artery (mouse) or external carotid artery (rat) after ischemic stroke is reported. Injected cells are distributed broadly throughout the brain parenchyma and can be detected up to 30 d after delivery.

Neural stem cell (NSC) therapy is an emerging innovative treatment for stroke, traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disorders. As compared to ...

Understanding Motor Neuron Responses to Spinal Cord Stimulation

The Ex vivo Preparation of Spinal Cord Slice for the Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Recording in Motor Neurons During Spinal Cord Stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) can effectively restore locomotor function after spinal cord injury (SCI). Because the motor neurons are the final unit to execute sensorimotor behaviors, directly studying the electrical responses of motor neurons with SCS can help us understand the underlying logic of spinal motor modulation. To simultaneously record diverse stimulus characteristics and cellular responses, a patch-clamp is a good method to study the electrophysiological characteristics at a single-cell scale. However, there are still some complex difficulties in achieving this goal, including maintaining cell viability, quickly separating the spinal cord from the bony structure, and using the SCS to successfully induce action potentials. Here, we present a detailed protocol using patch-clamp to study the electrical responses of motor neurons to SCS with high spatiotemporal resolution, which can help researcher improve their skills in separating the spinal cord and maintaining the cell viability at the same time to smoothly study the electrical mechanism of SCS on motor neuron and avoid unnecessary trial and mistake.

Author Spotlight: Advancing Spinal Cord Stimulation - Exploring the Cellular Responses of Motor Neurons Through Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology 

This protocol describes a method using a patch-clamp to study the electrical responses of motor neurons to spinal cord stimulation (SCS) with high spatiotemporal resolution, which can help researchers improve their skills in separating the spinal cord and maintaining cell viability simultaneously.

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) can effectively restore locomotor function after spinal cord injury (SCI). Because the motor neurons are the final unit to ...

A Spinal Cord Injury Contusion Device for Accurate Mouse Models

Automated Impactor for Contusive Spinal Cord Injury Model in Mice

Spinal cord injury (SCI) due to traumatic injuries such as car accidents and falls is associated with permanent spinal cord dysfunction. Creation of contusion models of spinal cord injury by impacting the spinal cord results in similar pathologies to most spinal cord injuries in clinical practice. Accurate, reproducible, and convenient animal models of spinal cord injury are essential for studying spinal cord injury. We present a novel automated spinal cord injury contusion device for mice, the Guangzhou Jinan University smart spinal cord injury system, that can produce spinal cord injury contusion models with accuracy, reproducibility, and convenience. The system accurately produces models of varying degrees of spinal cord injury via laser distance sensors combined with an automated mobile platform and advanced software. We used this system to create three levels of spinal cord injury mice models, determined their Basso mouse scale (BMS) scores, and performed behavioral as well as staining assays to demonstrate its accuracy and reproducibility. We show each step of the development of the injury models using this device, forming a standardized procedure. This method produces reproducible spinal cord injury contusion mice models and reduces human manipulation factors via convenient handling procedures. The developed animal model is reliable for studying spinal cord injury mechanisms and associated treatment approaches.

Author Spotlight: Insight Into Innovations in Spinal Cord Injury Research

Presented here is a novel automated spinal cord injury contusion device for mice, which can accurately produce spinal cord injury contusion models with varying degrees.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) due to traumatic injuries such as car accidents and falls is associated with permanent spinal cord dysfunction. Creation of ...