title: Reduced long-term potentiation in hippocampal slices prepared using sucrose-based artificial cerebrospinal fluid.
abstract: Sucrose-based artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) is sometimes used to prepare brain slices for in vitro electrophysiological experiments. This study compared the effect of preparing brain slices using chilled sucrose-based aCSF versus the conventional method using chilled aCSF on hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Brain slices from each treatment group were transferred to normal aCSF before electrophysiological recordings were made. The stimulus-response relationship of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) in the CA1 region was indistinguishable between the two treatment groups. However, the amount of LTP induced by either a &theta;-burst (four stimuli at 100 Hz repeated ten times at 200 ms intervals) or tetanic stimulation (100 Hz for 1 s) was significantly reduced in slices that had been prepared using sucrose-based aCSF. This was associated with reduced facilitation of the fEPSPs during the high frequency stimulus, reduced post-tetanic potentiation and short-term potentiation. In sucrose-cut slices the fEPSPs were slightly shorter in duration (29%, P<0.01), and during paired-pulse stimulation the broadening of the second fEPSP was enhanced. The LTP deficit in sucrose-cut slices was reversed by blocking GABA(A) receptor function with picrotoxin. These data suggest that the use of sucrose based aCSF better preserves GABA-mediated synaptic transmission, which limits the induction of LTP in hippocampal brain slices.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Centre, Merck Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories, Terlings Park, Eastwick Road, Essex CM20 2QR, Harlow, UK. fred_kuenzi@merck.com
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Kuenzi
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fitzjohn
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Collingridge
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Seabrook
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010852:Picrotoxin; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013395:Sucrose; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid