The applicability of brain slice methodology to the study of focal cerebral ischaemia in the rat: an evaluation.
Brain slices were prepared from rats which had previously sustained a focal cerebral ischaemic insult as a consequence of middle cerebral artery occlusion. Slices cut in the coronal plane at the level of the anterior commissure were equilibrated for 1 h at 35 degrees C in a submersion chamber perfused with oxygenated artificial cerebrospinal fluid. A 4M K acetate-filled glass microelectrode (15-30 M omega) was used to penetrate each slice at multiple sites in order to record spontaneous neuronal activity. Subsequently, the presence of an area of cerebral infarction in the slices was confirmed using tetrazolium salt stains. Spontaneous neuronal activity, mainly as spike discharges or depolarisation, was observed in slices prepared from lesioned (6), sham-operated (6) and control (6) animals. The bursts of discharges were more consistently obtained and of larger amplitude and duration in the slices with focal areas of ischaemia when compared with the shams and controls. These observations may be of relevance to the hypothesis that excitotoxic discharges of disinhibited neurones contribute to the pathophysiology of stroke.
Lye
R H
RH
University of Manchester, Department of Neurosurgery, Manchester Royal Infirmary, U.K.
Clough
P H
PH
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008867:Microtomy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains