Iontophoresis Microelectrode
Iontophoresis Microelectrode - Related Videos
03:01
Characterizing Extracellular Space in a Brain Slice Using Ion-Selective and Iontophoresis Microelectrodes
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2025
This video demonstrates how to characterize the extracellular space in a brain slice by using ion-selective and iontophoresis microelectrodes to measure and compare electrical signals. This process helps determine the space's volume fraction and degree of twisting.
10:45
Real-time Iontophoresis with Tetramethylammonium to Quantify Volume Fraction and Tortuosity of Brain Extracellular Space
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Cited by 29 •
2017
This protocol describes real-time iontophoresis, a method that measures physical parameters of the extracellular space (ECS) of living brains. The diffusion of an inert molecule released into the ECS is used to calculate the ECS volume fraction and tortuosity. It is ideal for studying acute reversible changes to brain ECS.
07:08
Fast Micro-iontophoresis of Glutamate and GABA: A Useful Tool to Investigate Synaptic Integration
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Cited by 8 •
2013
In this article we introduce fast micro-iontophoresis of neurotransmitters as a technique to investigate integration of postsynaptic signals with high spatial and temporal precision.
07:29
Three Different Protocols of Corneal Collagen Crosslinking in Keratoconus: Conventional, Accelerated and Iontophoresis
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Cited by 30 •
2015
Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) is the only conservative treatment currently available to halt keratoconus progression by improving the biomechanical rigidity of the corneal stroma. The aim of this manuscript is to highlight the methods of three different protocols of CXL: conventional CXL (C-CXL), accelerated CXL (A-CXL), and iontophoresis CXL (I-CXL).
04:19
Visualizing Astrocyte Morphology Using Fluorescent Dye Iontophoresis in a Fixed Mouse Brain Slice
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2025
Source: Moye, S. L., et.al. Visualizing Astrocyte Morphology Using Lucifer Yellow Iontophoresis. J. Vis. Exp. (2019). This video demonstrates the use of fluorescent dye iontophoresis to study astrocyte morphology in fixed brain slices. It details the piercing of the astrocyte soma with an electrode to deliver an anionic, hydrophilic dye into the cytoplasm under a low-voltage current, enabling the dye to diffuse and label the soma and branches. Confocal microscopy is then used to visualize the...
FAQs
Electrical polarity determines whether positively or negatively charged molecules are driven from the micropipette. A controlled current moves the relevant charged substance through the tip and into the nearby cellular environment. This directional transport allows an experimenter to select a compound based on its charge and examine how localized chemical exposure changes neuronal activity or synaptic function.
A retaining current helps limit passive diffusion while active delivery is paused. Without this control, substances could continue leaving the micropipette and weaken the timing or spatial precision of an experiment. Maintaining the intended pause is especially important when researchers compare neuronal responses before, during, and after brief applications of neurotransmitters or pharmacological agents.
Localized delivery exposes a nearby cell or small tissue region while limiting effects on surrounding tissue. This spatial control helps researchers connect a compound with changes in electrical activity, receptor behavior, or synaptic function more directly than a broadly distributed treatment would. It therefore supports focused investigations of neural circuits and the actions of signaling compounds.
A typical workflow places the fine electrode or micropipette near the cell or neural region of interest, selects a charged neurotransmitter, pharmacological agent, or signaling compound, and applies a controlled current to deliver it. The experimenter can pause delivery with a retaining current, then monitor electrical activity or synaptic responses to evaluate the compound's local effect.
The approach can deliver neurotransmitters, pharmacological agents, and other charged signaling compounds, provided they can be driven from the micropipette by electrical current. Researchers select among these substances according to the biological question, such as testing receptor mechanisms, examining synaptic function, or probing how a local chemical signal influences the activity of an individual neuron.
Measurements of neuronal electrical activity and synaptic function can show how a locally applied compound affects a cell or circuit. Such responses may help characterize receptor mechanisms, identify effects of neurotransmitters or pharmacological agents, and examine brain pharmacology with limited disruption to nearby tissue. The method is therefore suited to linking chemical exposure with specific neural responses.