title: A method allowing intracellular and extracellular single-unit recordings from brain slices in the grease-gap chamber.
abstract: The grease-gap chamber makes it possible to perfuse two parts of a brain slice separately. Hence, it lies between bath application and iontophoresis or pressure ejection in terms of the size of the region that receives controlled drug dosing. Modifications of a commercially available chamber are described which have permitted the first extracellular and intracellular single-unit recordings to be taken from brain slices in a grease-gap preparation. In addition, we describe the electrical resistance of the gap as a measure of the integrity of the barrier and a simple method for monitoring this resistance continuously. The resistance monitor is particularly useful during low flow rate conditions that improve mechanical stability. These techniques extend the grease-gap method to electrophysiological studies of single cells in slices.
mesh_terms: D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004566:Electrodes; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; C035906:Fast Green