title: A novel carbon fiber bundle microelectrode and modified brain slice chamber for recording long-term multiunit activity from brain slices.
abstract: The fabrication and characteristics of a novel multiunit recording electrode and modified brain slice chamber suitable for long-term recording from brain slices are described. The electrode consisted of an electrolyte-filled glass micropipette with a 20-50 microns thick wax-coated bundle of 5-micron diameter carbon fibers extending 2.5 cm from the tapered end and an AgCl-coated silver wire inserted into the open end and connected to a preamplifier. Both ends of the electrode were sealed with wax to prevent evaporation of the electrolyte. The brain slice was maintained over this extended period in an interface-type brain slice chamber modified to completely surround the slice with medium. Using this electrode, regular 24-h oscillations of spontaneous multiunit activity were recorded for 3 days from a single location in a 500 microns thick rat suprachiasmatic nucleus brain slice. Preliminary data suggest that this novel carbon fiber bundle electrode will be a favorable alternative to traditional metal electrodes for long-term recording of multiunit activity from brain slices.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801, USA.
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Tcheng
authors.forename: M U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Gillette
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002244:Carbon; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon