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Preparation of Rat Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures Using the Membrane-Interface Method

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Patch Clamp Electrophysiology

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2188))

Abstract

Cultured hippocampal slices from rodents, in which the architecture and functional properties of the hippocampal network are largely preserved, have proved to be a powerful substrate for studying healthy and pathological neuronal mechanisms. Here, we delineate the membrane-interface method for maintaining organotypic slices in culture for several weeks. The protocol includes procedures for dissecting hippocampus from rat brain, and collecting slices using a vibratome. This method provides the experimenter with easy access to both the brain tissue and culture medium, which facilitates genetic and pharmacological manipulations and enables experiments that incorporate imaging and electrophysiology. The method is generally applicable to rats of different ages, and to different brain regions, and can be modified for culture of slices from other species including mice.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Wellcome Trust and Royal Society Sir Henry Dale fellowship to MGG (104194/Z/14/Z), and the BBSRC (BB/N015274/1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK

    Timothy W. Church & Matthew G. Gold

Authors
  1. Timothy W. Church
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  2. Matthew G. Gold
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Correspondence to Matthew G. Gold .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Reading, Reading, UK

    Mark Dallas

  2. Sophion Bioscience A/S, Ballerup, Denmark

    Damian Bell

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Church, T.W., Gold, M.G. (2021). Preparation of Rat Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures Using the Membrane-Interface Method. In: Dallas, M., Bell, D. (eds) Patch Clamp Electrophysiology. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2188. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0818-0_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0818-0_12

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-0817-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-0818-0

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