Minimizing Hypoxia in Hippocampal Slices from Adult and Aging Mice

Summary

This is a protocol for acute slice preparation from adult and aging mouse hippocampi that takes advantage of transcardial perfusion and slice cutting with ice-cold NMDG-aCSF to reduce hypoxic damage to the tissue. The resulting slices stay healthy over many hours, and are suitable for long-term patch-clamp and field-recordings.

Abstract

Acute hippocampal slices have enabled generations of neuroscientists to explore synaptic, neuronal, and circuit properties in detail and with high fidelity. Exploration of LTP and LTD mechanisms, single neuron dendritic computation, and experience-dependent changes in circuitry, would not have been possible without this classical preparation. However, with a few exceptions, most basic research using acute hippocampal slices has been performed using slices from rodents of relatively young ages, ~P20-P40, even though synaptic and intrinsic excitability mechanisms have a long developmental tail that reaches past P60. The main appeal of using young hippocampal slices is preservation of neuronal health aided by higher tolerance to hypoxic damage. However, there is a need to understand neuronal function at more mature stages of development, further accentuated by the development of various animal models of neurodegenerative diseases that require an aging brain preparation. Here we describe a modification to an acute hippocampal slice preparation that reliably delivers healthy slices from adult and aging mouse hippocampi. The protocol’s critical steps are transcardial perfusion and cutting with ice-cold sodium-free NMDG-aSCF. Together, these steps attenuate the hypoxia-induced drop in ATP upon decapitation, as well as cytotoxic edema caused by passive sodium fluxes. We demonstrate how to cut transversal slices of hippocampus plus cortex using a vibrating microtome. Acute hippocampal slices obtained in this way are reliably healthy over many hours of recording, and are appropriate for both field-recordings and targeted patch-clamp recordings, including targeting of fluorescently labeled neurons.

Introduction

The advent of mammalian acute brain slice preparations facilitated experiments at the cellular and synaptic level that were previously possible only in invertebrate preparations like Aplysia¹. Development of acute hippocampal slices was of particular significance, as it is a structure responsible for working memory and context formation, and has a specialized tri-synaptic circuitry that is amenable to easy physiological manipulation. However, the vast majority of acute brain slices are still prepared from relatively young mice and rats, as it is easier to preserve healthy neurons and circuits, and the slices remain viable for longer periods of ....

Protocol

The protocol is carried out in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the National Institutes of Health and approved by the Stanford University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Methods are also in accordance with the Policies of the Society for Neuroscience on the Use of Animals and Humans in Neuroscience Research.

NOTE: All mice were maintained in a pathogen-free environment. Wild-type mice on mixed C57Bl/ 6 x SV/ 129J genetic background were used .......

Discussion

The protocol described here demonstrates that hippocampal slices obtained from adult and aging mice can remain healthy and viable for many hours after cutting. The slices prepared using this protocol are appropriate for patch-clamp recordings, as well as long-lasting field-recordings in the CA1 regions.

There are two critical steps in this protocol. First step is the transcardial perfusion step with an ice-cold solution. Fast clearance of blood is signaled by rapid change of liver color. .......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
“60 degree” tool	made in-house
#10 scalpel blade	Bard-Parker (Aspen Surgical)	371110
1M CaCl2	Fluka Analytical	21114
95%O2/5%CO2	Praxiar or another local supplier
Acepromazine maleate (AceproJect)	Henry Schein	5700850
Agar	Fisher	BP1423-500
Beakers, measuring cylinders, reagent bottles
Brushes size 00-2	Ted Pella		Crafts stores are another source of soft brushes, with larger selection and better quality than Ted Pella.
CCD camera	Olympus	XM10
Choline bicarbonate	Pfalz & Bauer	C21240
Cyanoacrilate glue	Krazy glue		Singles
Decapitation scissors	FST	14130-17
Feather blades	Feather	FA-10
Filter paper #2	Whatman		Either rounds or pieces cut from a bigger sheet work well.
Forceps	A. Dumont & Fils	Inox 3c
Glass bubblers (Robu glass borosillicate microfilter candles) - porosity 3	Robuglas.com	18103 or 18113	Glass bubblers are more expensive than bubbling stones used in aquaria. However, they are easy to clean and sterilize, and can last a long time.
Glucose	Sigma-Aldrich	G8270
HCl	Fisher	A144SI-212
Ice buckets
KCl	Sigma-Aldrich	P4504
Ketamine HCl (KetaVed)	VEDCO	NDC 50989-996-06
KH2PO4	Sigma-Aldrich	P0662
Leica Tissue slicer VT1000S			The cutting settings are 1 mm horizontal blade amplitude, frequency dial at 9, and speed setting at 2
Magnetic stirrers and stir bars
Mg2SO4 x 7H2O	Sigma-Aldrich	230391
MgCl2	Sigma-Aldrich	M9272
MilliQ water machine	Millipore		Source for 18 Mohm water
Na-ascorbate	Sigma-Aldrich	A4035
Na-pyruvate	Sigma-Aldrich	P8574
NaCl	Sigma-Aldrich	S3014
NaHCO3	EMD	SX0320-1
Needle 27G1/2
NMDG	Sigma-Aldrich	M2004
Paper tape
Peristaltic pump	Cole-Parmer	#7553-70
Peristaltic pump head	Cole-Parmer	Masterflex #7518-00
Personna blades		Personna double edge	Amazon
pH meter
Recovery chamber	in-house made
Scalpel blade handle size 3	Bard-Parker (Aspen Surgical)	371030
Scissors angled blade	FST	14081-09
Single edge industrial razor blade #9	VWR	55411
Spatulas
Transfer pipettes	Samco Scientific	225
Upright microscope	Olympus BX51WI
Xylazine HCl (XylaMed)	VetOne	510650