A new intraretinal recording system with multiple-barreled electrodes for pharmacological studies on cat retinal ganglion cells.
To overcome technical difficulties associated with in vivo intraretinal recordings of cat retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) with multiple-barreled electrodes, we developed a new guide-trocar system that consisted of a small-diameter and large-diameter pipes. We also improved the method to construct tungsten-in-glass multiple-barreled electrodes suitable for intraretinal recording from RGCs. Only the small-diameter pipe was inserted into the eye ball through the sclera, through which only the taper part of a multiple-barreled electrode pass. The large-diameter pipe stably held the electrode at its trunk and remained outside the eye ball. Insertion of only the small-diameter pipe minimized damages in the eye ball and prevented the eye ball movements while positioning the electrode. The system allowed us to keep the recordings stable for more than 1 h. Iontophoretically applied L-glutamate successfully activated RGCs of both X and Y types in the cat retina.
Takao
M
M
CREST, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, and Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biophysical Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering Science, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan. takao@phys2.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Wang1
Y
Y
Miyoshi
T
T
Fujita
I
I
Fukuda
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007478:Iontophoresis; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008846:Micromanipulation; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000187:drug effects*