Name: direct-current stimulation and multi-electrode array recording of seizure-like activity in mice brain slice preparation
Uploaded: 2016-06-07T14:15:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Direct-current Stimulation and Multi-electrode Array Recording of Seizure-like Activity in Mice Brain Slice Preparation at JoVE.com

We are grateful for the technical support from the Neural Circuit Electrophysiology Core at Academia Sinica. This work was supported by the National Science Council (102-2320-B-001-026-MY3 and 100-2311-B-001-003-MY3) and Neuroscience Program of Academia Sinica.

Procedures that involve animal subjects were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Utilization Committee, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
1. Preparing Experimental Solution and Equipment for Multielectrode Array Recording
<ol>
	<li>Prepare artificial cerebral spinal fluid (aCSF; 124 mM NaCl, 4.4 mM KCl, 1 mM NaH2PO3, 2 mM MgSO4, 2 mM CaCl2, 25 mM NaHCO3, and 10 mM glucose, bubbled with 95% O2 and 5% CO2).</...

<ol>
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In the present study, the effects of the duration and orientation of DCS on ACC seizure-like activity were tested. To obtain stable data in mouse brain slices, how to keep the integrity of the MT-ACC pathway and to avoid damage it is key, especially the steps in which two angled ventral cuts and a dorsal cut of the cortex are made. Moreover, the time to prepare the brain slice can also affect the activity of the brain slice, which should be the shortest time possible to keep the brain fresh and strong. A previous study s...

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder. Thirty percent of patients with epilepsy suffer from drug-resistant seizures1. Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) provides a noninvasive approach to control or alter network activities across large brain areas, such as seizures. Clinical studies have shown that tDCS effectively treats intractable seizures2 and can produce both short- and long-term suppressive effects on seizures3-5. However, the therapeutic mechanism of tDCS actions is still unclear. The brain slice model presented is an in vitro method to investigate how the therapeutic mechanism of tDCS actions alters the symptoms of seizure-like brain activities. Accordingly, to achieve its optimal effects, specific stimulation parameters including orientation, field strength, and stimulation duration need to be tested in an experimental model. Previous studies have shown that the orientation of the electric field is important to obtain therapeutic effects6. Thus, testing and arranging the orientation of electrodes relative to the position of the tested brain slice are feasible.
Frontal lobe epilepsy and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) seizures are often drug-resistant7,8. Some studies have reported the application of tDCS in the cingulate cortex9-11. tDCS is shown to affect vigilance, decision making and emotion through alteration of ACC activities, and can modulate neuronal excitability and seizure activity in this brain region12. Therefore, suppressive effects of tDCS on ACC seizures might be helpful for clinical treatment and the evaluation of alternative treatments.
The present protocol describes the preparation of an electrode in the recording chamber for DCS of a brain slice and its effect on seizure-like activity recording with a multielectrode array (MEA).

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="1018">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td colspan="4" height="21" style="height:21px;width:1017px;">Anesthetic:</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Isoflurane</td>
			<td>Halocarbon Products Corporation&#160;</td>
			<td>NDC 12164-002-25</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">4%</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:355px;">Name</td>
			<td style="width:292px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:184px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td colspan="4" height="21" style="height:21px;">aCSF (total:1L):</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">D(+)-Glucose</td>
			<td>MERCK</td>
			<td>1.08337.1000</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">10 mM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Sodium hydrogen carbonate</td>
			<td>MERCK</td>
			<td>1.06329.0500</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">25 mM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Sodium chloride</td>
			<td>MERCK</td>
			<td>1.06404.1000</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">124 mM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">(+)-Sodium L-ascorbate, &#62;=98%</td>
			<td>SIGMA</td>
			<td>A4034-100G</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">0.15 g / 2 c.c</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Magnesium sulfate, anhydrous,ReagentPlus</td>
			<td>SIGMA</td>
			<td>M7506-500G</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">2 mM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Calcium chloride dihydrate</td>
			<td>MERCK</td>
			<td>1.02382.1000</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">2 mM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Sodium dihydrogen phosphate monohydrate</td>
			<td>MERCK</td>
			<td>1.06346.1000</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">1 mM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Potassium chloride</td>
			<td>May &#38; Baker LTD Dagenham England</td>
			<td>MS 7616</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">4.4 mM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:355px;">Name</td>
			<td style="width:292px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:184px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td colspan="4" height="21" style="height:21px;">Drugs:</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">(+)-Bicuculline</td>
			<td>TOCRIS</td>
			<td>0130</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">5 &#181;M in aCSF</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">4-Aminopyridine</td>
			<td>TOCRIS</td>
			<td>0940</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">250 &#181;M in aCSF</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:355px;">Name</td>
			<td style="width:292px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:184px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td colspan="4" height="21" style="height:21px;">Brain slice Preparation:</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="37">
			<td height="37" style="height:37px;">Vibratome</td>
			<td>Vibratome</td>
			<td>Series 1000</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Block slicing into 500 &#181;m thick slices</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:355px;">Name</td>
			<td style="width:292px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:184px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td colspan="4" height="21" style="height:21px;">MEA system:</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="80">
			<td height="80" style="height:80px;width:355px;">Multielectrode array (MEA) probes: 6 x 10 planar MEA</td>
			<td>Multi Channel Systems</td>
			<td style="width:184px;">60MEA500/30iR-Ti-pr MEAS 6x10</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">electrode diameter, 30 &#181;m; electrode spacing, 500 &#181;m; impedance, 50 k&#937; at 200 Hz</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="120">
			<td height="120" style="height:120px;width:355px;">Multielectrode array (MEA) probes: 8 x 8 MEA&#160;</td>
			<td>Ayanda Biosystems</td>
			<td style="width:184px;">60MEA200/10iR-Ti-pr MEAS 8x8</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">pyramidal-shaped electrode; diameter, 40 &#181;m; tip height, 50 &#181;m; electrode spacing, 200 &#181;m; impedance, 1000 k&#937; at 200 Hz</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:355px;">A 60-channel amplifier was used with a band-pass filter set between 0.1 Hz and 3 KHz at 1200X amplification</td>
			<td>Multi-Channel Systems</td>
			<td>MEA-1060-BC</td>
			<td style="width:187px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">MC Rack software at a 10 KHz sampling rate</td>
			<td>Multi-Channel Systems</td>
			<td></td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Software for data collect and recordings</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">control of a pulse generator</td>
			<td>Multi-Channel Systems</td>
			<td>STG 1002</td>
			<td style="width:187px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">slice anchor kits and hold-downs</td>
			<td>Warner Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:184px;">SHD-26H/10; WI64-0250</td>
			<td style="width:187px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Peristaltic Pump-minipuls3</td>
			<td>Gilsom</td>
			<td style="width:184px;">MINIPULS3</td>
			<td>perfusion rate : 8 ml/min</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:355px;">Name</td>
			<td style="width:292px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:184px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td colspan="4" height="21" style="height:21px;">Stimulation system:</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;">Isolated stimulator</td>
			<td>A-M Systems</td>
			<td>Model 2100</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">intensity of &#177;350 &#956;A , duration of 200 &#956;s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Tungsten electrode</td>
			<td>A-M Systems</td>
			<td>575300</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">placed in thalamus</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

direct-current stimulation and multi-electrode array recording of seizure-like activity in mice brain slice preparation

Cathodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) induces suppressive effects on drug-resistant seizures. To perform effective actions, the stimulation parameters (e.g., orientation, field strength, and stimulation duration) need to be examined in mice brain slice preparations. Testing and arranging the orientation of the electrode relative to the position of the mice brain slice are feasible. The present method preserves the thalamocingulate pathway to evaluate the effect of DCS on anterior cingulate cortex seizure-like activities. The results of the multichannel array recordings indicated that cathodal DCS significantly decreased the amplitude of the stimulation-evoked responses and duration of 4-aminopyridine and bicuculline-induced seizure-like activity. This study also found that cathodal DCS applications at 15 min caused long-term depression in the thalamocingulate pathway. The present study investigates the effects of DCS on thalamocingulate synaptic plasticity and acute seizure-like activities. The current procedure can test the optimal stimulation parameters including orientation, field strength, and stimulation duration in an in vitro mouse model. Also, the method can evaluate the effects of DCS on cortical seizure-like activities at both the cellular and network levels.

Preparation of the Thalamocingulate Slice and MEA Recording System Setup
The MT-ACC slice from mice is a special slice preparation that allows exploration of the electrophysiological properties of the thalamocingulate pathway. Figure 1A shows the way in which the MT-ACC slice was prepared. The brain of the mouse was quickly removed and kept in cool oxygenated aCSF (Figure 1A, a, b). To reveal su...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Direct-current Stimulation and Multi-electrode Array Recording of Seizure-like Activity in Mice Brain Slice Preparation at JoVE.com

Direct-current Stimulation and Multi-electrode Array Recording of Seizure-like Activity in Mice Brain Slice Preparation

Studies have shown that cathodal transcranial direct-current stimulation can produce suppressive effects on drug-resistant seizures. In this study, an in vitro experimental setup was devised in which the direct-current stimulation and multielectrode array recording of seizure-like activity were evaluated in mice brain slice preparation. The direct-current stimulation parameters were evaluated.

Cathodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) induces suppressive effects on drug-resistant seizures. To perform effective actions, the ...

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