Oscillations are fundamental network properties and are modulated by disease and drugs. Studying brain-slice oscillations allows characterization of isolated networks under controlled conditions. Protocols are provided for the preparation of acute brain slices for evoking CA1 γ oscillations.
Neuronal network oscillations are important features of brain activity in health and disease and can be modulated by a range of clinically used drugs. A protocol is provided to generate a model for studying CA1 γ oscillations (20 – 80 Hz). These γ oscillations are stable for at least 30 min and depend upon excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity in addition to activation of pacemaker currents. Tetanically stimulated oscillations have a number of reproducible and easily quantifiable characteristics including spike count, oscillation duration, latency and frequency that report upon the network state. The advantages of the electrically stimulated oscillations include stability, reproducibility and episodic acquisition enabling robust characterization of network function. This model of CA1 γ oscillations can be used to study cellular mechanisms and to systematically investigate how neuronal network activity is altered in disease and by drugs. Disease state pharmacology can be readily incorporated by the use of brain slices from genetically modified or interventional animal models to enable selection of drugs that specifically target disease mechanisms.
Brain network oscillations occur within distinct frequency bands that correlate to behavioral states. In rodents, hippocampal θ oscillations (5 – 10 Hz) are observed during exploratory behaviors1,2, while γ oscillations (20 – 80 Hz) associate with various cognitive processes, including perception and attention3,4. Synchronous γ network activity is also implicated in the pathology of disorders such as epilepsy and schizophrenia5,6. For example, γ oscillations are thought to correspond to areas of cortical epileptic foci5,7,8 and could be used as markers of pharmacosensitivity or resistance, two important areas of investigation in epilepsy research9.
The hippocampal brain slice is a model that has been widely used to investigate network activity10-12. Various protocols have been developed to generate γ oscillations in brain slices that typically involve pharmacological modulation such as low Mg2+, 4-aminopyridine (4AP), bicuculline, and kainic acid12-17. Shortcomings of pharmacologically triggered oscillations are that they occur randomly after drug application and are not reliably generated or stable over time. Electrically triggered γ oscillations overcome many of these problems and also have the advantage of being temporally locked to the stimulating event allowing for episodic recording and analysis. Here a protocol is described for generating CA1 γ oscillations by delivering a tetanic stimulation to the stratum oriens in the hippocampal slice.
All experiments on mice were approved by the Florey Institute animal ethics committee.
1. Setup for Cutting Brain Slices
2. Cutting Brain Slices
3. Extracellular Electrophysiology Recordings
Tetanic stimulation of the stratum oriens generated robust and reproducible γ oscillations (35.4 ± 2.2 Hz), see Figure 3B. To demonstrate that the oscillations were generated within the local CA1 network the inputs from CA3 were severed by cutting the slice in the CA2 region using a bent 32 G needle. The oscillation properties in the cut slices did not differ from the uncut slices (p = 0.85; cut slices 6.16 ± 1.1 spikes, n = 6; uncut slices 5.89 ± 0.8 spikes, n = 6), indicating that the oscillations are generated locally.
An important advantage of this method is the stability of recordings. When the tetanus was delivered at 5-min intervals the oscillations were stable for at least 30 min for any given slice (p = 0.26 for number of spikes at 15 min vs. 30 min). There is variability between slices in the total number of spikes within an oscillation and other parameters. For drug studies paired experiments can be done so that differences in baseline properties are minor factors. For intra-slice comparisons variability can be a concern and can be overcome by sufficiently powering comparisons.
Next, the ion channels and receptors that are required for the generation of these tetanically stimulated CA1 γ oscillations were investigated. Pharmacological blockade of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors with 20 µM 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) (Figure 4A, B), GABAA receptors with 20 µM bicuculline (Figure 4C), Ih current with 20 µM 4-(N-ethyl-N-phenylamino)-1,2-dimethyl-6-(methylamino) pyrimidinium chloride (ZD7288) (Figure 4D), and T-type Ca2+ channels with 100 µM Ni2+ (Figure 4E) were each independently able to reduce the number of spikes generated (p < 0.05; CNQX n = 6; bicuculline n = 7; ZD7288 n = 6; Ni2+ n = 6). Application of (2R)-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate (AP5, 20 µM) did not affect the number of spikes (p = 0.22; n = 5; AP5, 5.9 ± 3.1 spikes; control, 8.3 ± 2.2 spikes), suggesting that NMDA receptors are not involved in γ oscillation generation in this preparation.
This preparation is ideal for determining the network scale action of drugs. Retigabine is a clinically used anti-epileptic medication that opens potassium channels and reduces membrane excitability18-20. Bath application of retigabine produced a dose-dependent reduction in the number of spikes in and duration of the oscillation (Figure 5).
Figure 1. Schematic of the skull and overlying skin showing location of cuts to reveal the brain. A1, A2, B and C mark the locations of cuts that need to be made to open up the skull for the removal of the brain. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 2. Placement of the stimulating and recording electrodes in the CA1 Schaffer collaterals to test slice health. (A) Shows placement of the stimulating electrode (Stim) and the recording electrode (Rec). (B) A representative example of a fEPSP evoked by a 120 µA stimulation (fiber volley marked by *). Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 3. Configuration of recording and stimulation electrodes used to evoke oscillation. (A) Location of the stimulating electrode (Stim) in the stratum oriens and recording electrode (Rec) in the stratum pyramidale of the CA1. (B) A representative example of the γ oscillations induced by tetanic stimulation (artifact marked by “Stim”). Representative trace showing quantifiable outputs. ISI inter-spike interval. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 4. Pharmacological characterization of tetanically generated γ oscillations. (A) Representative trace demonstrating the effect of CNQX. Graphs demonstrating the effect of (B) CNQX (20 µM; n = 6), (C) bicuculline (20 µM; n = 7), (D) ZD7288 (20 µM; n = 6) and (E) Ni2+ (100 µM; n = 6) on the number of spikes. Data are presented as paired comparisons. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and, ***p < 0.001. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 5. Retigabine effects on network properties. Representative examples showing the reduced network activity of induced oscillations (A) in control conditions and (B) and (C) with retigabine. Summary of the effects shown in (D) spike count, (E) oscillation duration, (F) latency to oscillation onset, and (G) inter-spike interval (ISI). Data are presented as paired comparisons. *p < 0.05. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
A robust method to generate CA1 γ oscillations in acute brain slices is described. The oscillations generated arise from a local circuit enabling a better opportunity for controlling and understanding the neurophysiological basis of network oscillations12. AMPA receptors, GABAA receptors, Ih and T-type Ca2+ channels are all required for γ oscillations in this model. While the local CA1 oscillations described here can be robustly generated this is dependent on ensuring that the brain slices are healthy. A critical step is rapid removal of the brain from the skull, taking care to not penetrate the brain during removal and then rapid immersion in ice cold solution. Ideally the time between decapitation and removal of the brain from the skull should be no more than 30 – 60 sec to preserve slice health21.
By using tetanic stimulation local CA1 γ oscillations can be generated in standard physiological recording solutions without reliance on pharmacological agents. This is advantageous for characterizing pathologies in disease models where addition of pharmacological agents may confound interpretation. For example, using this model local CA1 activity and sensitivity to anti-epileptic drugs was enhanced in a mouse model of human genetic epilepsy22. The use of this model to investigate network activity is not limited to epilepsy and may easily be applied to other diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, autism and schizophrenia. While pharmacological agents are not required to generate the local CA1 oscillations sufficient tissue oxygenation is, due to the metabolic demand of the brain slice23. High perfusion rates improve oxygen and pH balance within the slice creating a more physiological environment for the brain slices24,25.
A further advantage of using tetanic stimulation to generate network oscillations is that an episodic experimental design can be used that enables more ready quantitation of network activity parameters, such as delay to onset, duration and spike numbers, in a repeatable manner. In contrast, chemically induced network activity is spontaneous13,15,16,26-28 and more difficult to quantify. Tetanic stimulation, however, can cause changes in NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity, which can cause changes in network activity over time. To control for this and enable stable oscillation generation over multiple tetanic stimulations plasticity changes can be limited by elevating Mg2+ levels. Although this protocol enhances reproducibility it is opaque to any influence of NMDA receptor function.
Interface recording chambers can improve slice health, yield better signal to noise ratios and more focal lower intensity stimulation with the added benefit of smaller stimulation artifacts. Perforated chamber recording methods would also improve slice health for long term experiments. Using micro electrode array recording chambers or patch clamp recording enables wide field and single neuron function to be measured during recordings to better investigate mechanisms underlying γ oscillations and their impact on broader network function. Incorporation of voltage and calcium sensors as well as optogenetic methods would introduce additional experimental flexibility in both recording and stimulating paradigms. Similar protocols developed for other brain regions that may be more relevant to the disease pathology under study. A final use for the protocol describe here may be for building and testing computation models of oscillations by combining field recordings with single neuron patch clamp and imaging studies.
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Supported by APA to RJH, NHMRC program grant 400121 to SP, and NMHRC fellowship 1005050 to SP. CAR acknowledges the support of the ARC (FT0990628) and the DOWD fellowship scheme. The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health is supported by Victorian State Government infrastructure funds.
4-(N-Ethyl-N-phenylamino)-1,2- dimethyl-6-(methylamino) pyrimidinium chloride (ZD7288) | Sigma-Aldrich | Z3777 | |
Biuculline | Sigma-Aldrich | 14340 | |
6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxa- line-2,3-dione (CNQX) | Sigma-Aldrich | C127 | |
Nickel | Sigma-Aldrich | 266965 | |
Carbamazepine | Sigma-Aldrich | C4024 | |
(2R)-amino-5-phosphonopentano-ate (APV) | Tocris Bioscience | 0105 | |
Retigabine | ChemPacific | 150812-12-7 | |
Choline-Cl | Sigma Aldrich | C1879-5KG | |
KCl | Sigma Aldrich | P9333-500G | |
NaH2PO4 | Sigma Aldrich | S9638-250G | |
NaHCO3 | Sigma Aldrich | S6297-250G | |
NaCl | Sigma Aldrich | S7653-5KG | |
Glucose | Sigma Aldrich | G8270-1KG | |
CaCl2.2H2O | Sigma Aldrich | 223506-500G | |
MgCl2.6H2O | Sigma Aldrich | M2670-500G | |
Electrode glass | Harvard Apparatus | GC150F-10 | |
Concentric bipolar stimulating metal electrode | FHC | CBBPF75 | |
Digital Isolator | Getting Instruments | Model BJN8-9V1 | |
Model 1800 amplifier | A-M systems | Model 1800 amplifier | |
Digitizer | National Intruments | NI USB-6211 | |
Vibrotome | Leica | VT1200s |