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Acute Hippocampal Slice Preparation and Hippocampal Slice Cultures

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In Vitro Neurotoxicology

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 758))

Abstract

A major advantage of hippocampal slice preparations is that the cytoarchitecture and synaptic circuits of the hippocampus are largely retained. In neurotoxicology research, organotypic hippocampal slices have mostly been used as acute ex vivo preparations for investigating the effects of neurotoxic chemicals on synaptic function. More recently, hippocampal slice cultures, which can be maintained for several weeks to several months in vitro, have been employed to study how neurotoxic chemicals influence the structural and functional plasticity in hippocampal neurons. This chapter provides protocols for preparing hippocampal slices to be used acutely for electrophysiological measurements using glass microelectrodes or microelectrode arrays or to be cultured for morphometric assessments of individual neurons labeled using biolistics.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the NIH (grants U01 NS 057993 and R01 ES014901).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Center for Children’s Environmental Health, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

    Pamela J. Lein

Authors
  1. Pamela J. Lein
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  2. Christopher D. Barnhart
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  3. Isaac N. Pessah
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pamela J. Lein .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Environmental and, University of Washington, Roosevelt Way NE 4225, Seattle, 98105, Washington, USA

    Lucio G. Costa

  2. , Department of Environmental and, University of Washington, Roosevelt Way NE 4225, Seattle, 98105, Washington, USA

    Gennaro Giordano

  3. Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, South Damen Avenue 820, Seattle, 60612, Illinois, USA

    Marina Guizzetti

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Lein, P.J., Barnhart, C.D., Pessah, I.N. (2011). Acute Hippocampal Slice Preparation and Hippocampal Slice Cultures. In: Costa, L., Giordano, G., Guizzetti, M. (eds) In Vitro Neurotoxicology. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 758. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-170-3_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-170-3_8

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-169-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-170-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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