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Naik A, Jensen V, Bakketun CB, Enger R, Hrabetova S, Hrabe J. BubbleDrive, a low-volume incubation chamber for acute brain slices. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20005. [PMID: 37973847 PMCID: PMC10654715 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45949-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute brain slices are a common and useful preparation in experimental neuroscience. A wide range of incubation chambers for brain slices exists but only a few are designed with very low volumes of the bath solution in mind. Such chambers are necessary when high-cost chemicals are to be added to the solution or when small amounts of substances released by the slice are to be collected for analysis. The principal challenge in designing a very low-volume incubation chamber is maintaining good oxygenation and flow without mechanically disturbing or damaging the slices. We designed and validated BubbleDrive, a 3D-printed incubation chamber with a minimum volume of 1.5 mL which can hold up to three coronal mouse slices from one hemisphere. It employs the carbogen gas bubbles to drive the flow circulation in a consistent and reproducible manner, and without disturbing the brain slices. The BubbleDrive design and construction were successfully validated by comparison to a conventional large-volume incubation chamber in several experimental designs involving measurements of extracellular diffusion parameters, the electrophysiology of neuronal and astrocytic networks, and the effectiveness of slice incubation with hyaluronidase enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Naik
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Neural and Behavioral Science Graduate Program, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Vidar Jensen
- Letten Centre, Division of Anatomy, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Cecilie Bugge Bakketun
- Letten Centre, Division of Anatomy, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rune Enger
- Letten Centre, Division of Anatomy, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Sabina Hrabetova
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
- The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
| | - Jan Hrabe
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratories, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
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Underwood E, Redell JB, Zhao J, Moore AN, Dash PK. A method for assessing tissue respiration in anatomically defined brain regions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13179. [PMID: 32764697 PMCID: PMC7413397 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69867-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The survival and function of brain cells requires uninterrupted ATP synthesis. Different brain structures subserve distinct neurological functions, and therefore have different energy production/consumption requirements. Typically, mitochondrial function is assessed following their isolation from relatively large amounts of starting tissue, making it difficult to ascertain energy production/failure in small anatomical locations. In order to overcome this limitation, we have developed and optimized a method to measure mitochondrial function in brain tissue biopsy punches excised from anatomically defined brain structures, including white matter tracts. We describe the procedures for maintaining tissue viability prior to performing the biopsy punches, as well as provide guidance for optimizing punch size and the drug doses needed to assess various aspects of mitochondrial respiration. We demonstrate that our method can be used to measure mitochondrial respiration in anatomically defined subfields within the rat hippocampus. Using this method, we present experimental results which show that a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI, often referred to as concussion) causes differential mitochondrial responses within these hippocampal subfields and the corpus callosum, novel findings that would have been difficult to obtain using traditional mitochondrial isolation methods. Our method is easy to implement and will be of interest to researchers working in the field of brain bioenergetics and brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Underwood
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - John B Redell
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Anthony N Moore
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Pramod K Dash
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Sun S, Delgado J, Behzadian N, Yeomans D, Anderson TA. Ex Vivo Whole Nerve Electrophysiology Setup, Action Potential Recording, and Data Analyses in a Rodent Model. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 93:e99. [PMID: 32663369 DOI: 10.1002/cpns.99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Ex vivo rodent whole nerves provide a model for assessing the effects of interventions on nerve impulse transmission and consequent sensory and/or motor function. Nerve impulse transmission can be measured through sciatic nerve compound action potential (CAP) recordings. However, de novo development and implementation of an ex vivo whole nerve resection protocol and an electrophysiology setup that retains nerve viability, that produces low noise CAP signals, and that allows for data analysis is challenging. Additionally, some of the existing literature lacks detail and accuracy and may be out of date. This article describes detailed protocols for rodent ex vivo sciatic nerve dissection and handling; importance of an optimal physiologic solution; computer-aided designs for 3D printing of readily adaptable ex vivo rodent whole nerve electrophysiology chambers; construction of low-cost, effective suction electrodes; setup and use of nerve stimulators and amplifiers; acquisition of low noise, small voltage CAP data and digital conversion; use of software for data analyses of CAP components; and tips for troubleshooting. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Electrophysiology wiring and hardware setup Support Protocol 1: 3D printing an electrophysiology chamber Support Protocol 2: Building suction electrodes Basic Protocol 2: Sciatic nerve dissection and compound action potential recording Basic Protocol 3: Data export and analysis Support Protocol 3: Preparation of HEPES-buffered physiologic solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Sun
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas
| | - Jorge Delgado
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | | | - David Yeomans
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Thomas Anthony Anderson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
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Tsokas P, Rivard B, Hsieh C, Cottrell JE, Fenton AA, Sacktor TC. Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotide Perfusion Blocks Gene Expression of Synaptic Plasticity-related Proteins without Inducing Compensation in Hippocampal Slices. Bio Protoc 2019; 9:e3387. [PMID: 31803793 PMCID: PMC6892586 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of long-term synaptic plasticity has been hindered by both the compensation that can occur after chronic loss of the core plasticity molecules and by ex vivo conditions that may not reproduce in vivo plasticity. Here we describe a novel method to rapidly suppress gene expression by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) applied to rodent brain slices in an "Oslo-type" interface chamber. The method has three advantageous features: 1) rapid blockade of new synthesis of the targeted proteins that avoids genetic compensation, 2) efficient oxygenation of the brain slice, which is critical for reproducing in vivo conditions of long-term synaptic plasticity, and 3) a recirculation system that uses only small volumes of bath solution (< 5 ml), reducing the amount of reagents required for long-term experiments lasting many hours. The method employs a custom-made recirculation system involving piezoelectric micropumps and was first used for the acute translational blockade of protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ) synthesis during long-term potentiation (LTP) by Tsokas et al., 2016. In that study, applying antisense-ODN rapidly prevents the synthesis of PKMζ and blocks late-LTP without inducing the compensation by other protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms that occurs in PKCζ/PKMζ knockout mice. In addition, we show that in a low-oxygenation submersion-type chamber, applications of the atypical PKC inhibitor, zeta inhibitory peptide (ZIP), can result in unstable baseline synaptic transmission, but in the high-oxygenation, "Oslo-type" interface electrophysiology chamber, the drug reverses late-LTP without affecting baseline synaptic transmission. This comparison reveals that the interface chamber, but not the submersion chamber, reproduces the effects of ZIP in vivo. Therefore, the protocol combines the ability to acutely block new synthesis of specific proteins for the study of long-term synaptic plasticity, while maintaining properties of synaptic transmission that reproduce in vivo conditions relevant for long-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panayiotis Tsokas
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States
| | - Bruno Rivard
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States
| | - Changchi Hsieh
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States
| | - James E. Cottrell
- Department of Anesthesiology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States
| | - André Antonio Fenton
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Todd Charlton Sacktor
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States
- Department of Neurology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, United States
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