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In This Article

  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Protocol
  • Representative Results
  • Discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Materials
  • References
  • Reprints and Permissions

Summary

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

Abstract

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 their axons coming out from the ventral roots of the spinal cord. Stimulation of these axons elicits back-propagating action potentials invading the motoneuron somas and exciting the motoneuron collaterals within the spinal cord. Recording of antidromic action potentials is an immediate, definitive and elegant way to characterize motoneuron identity, which surpasses 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.

Introduction

Historically, motoneuron recordings using sharp-electrode were conducted in vivo on large animals such as cats or rats1 or on an isolated whole spinal cord in 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 ro....

Protocol

 The experiments were performed in accordance with European directives (86/609/CEE and 2010-63-UE) and French legislation, and were approved by the Paris Descartes University ethics committee.

1. Spinal Cord Slice Preparation

  1. 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.
    1. Prepare Low Na + artificial cerebrospi.......

Representative Results

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 20.......

Discussion

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 and specific way. Furthermore, it allows for a quick, elegant and non-ambiguous identification of recorded motoneurons. Next, we will highlight the advantages of this technique compared to other slice preparation methods, and then we will stress out the most common pitfalls to avoid while performing this procedu.......

Acknowledgements

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 "Contrat Doctoral" from the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Cachan.

....

Materials

NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
Na-kynurenateABCAMab120256dissolves better then other brands
KClSigmaP3911
NaH2PO4SigmaP5655
sucrose SigmaS9378
NaHCO3 SigmaS6014
CaCl2 G BiosciencesR040
MgCl2 Quality Biological351-033-721
glucose SigmaG5767
ascorbic acid SigmaA5960
Na-pyruvate SigmaP2250
K-gluconate SigmaP1847
EGTA SigmaE3889
HEPES SigmaH4034
NaClSigmaS9888
AgarSigmaA9799
QX-314AlomoneQ150
Mg-ATPSigmaA9187
CsOHSigma232041
Na-GTPSigma51120
gluconic acidSigmaG1951
Cesium hydroxide solutionSigma232041
KOHSigmaP5958
Vannas Spring Scissors - 2.5mm FST15000-08only use for cutting the dura, might get damaged if cutting bones
StimulatorA-M SystemsIsolated Pulse Stimulator Model 2100
VibratomeCampdenVibrating Microtome 7000 - Model 7000smz-2

References

  1. Brooks, C. M., Downman, C. B., Eccles, J. C. After-potentials and excitability of spinal motoneurones following antidromic activation. J Neurophysiol. 13 (1), 9-38 (1950).
  2. Bories, C., Amendola, J., Lamotte d'Incamps, B., Durand, J.

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