Isolated Hippocampal Preparation
Isolated Hippocampal Preparation - Related Videos
10:27
Isolation and Culture of Hippocampal Neurons from Prenatal Mice
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Cited by 183 •
2012
We provide a protocol for the culture of highly purified hippocampal neurons from prenatal mouse brains without the use of a feeder glial cell layer.
09:37
Isolation and Expansion of Adult Canine Hippocampal Neural Precursors
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Cited by 3 •
2016
The canine brain is a valuable model in which to study adult neurogenesis. Presented here are protocols for isolating and expanding adult canine hippocampal neural precursor cells from primary brain tissue.
11:37
Tuning in the Hippocampal Theta Band In Vitro: Methodologies for Recording from the Isolated Rodent Septohippocampal Circuit
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Cited by 4 •
2017
Here, we present a protocol for recording rhythmic neuronal network theta and gamma oscillations from an isolated whole hippocampal preparation. We describe the experimental steps from extraction of the hippocampus to details of field, unitary and whole-cell patch clamp recordings as well as optogenetic pacing of the theta rhythm.
08:20
Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures
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Cited by 52 •
2011
We describe a method to prepare organotypic hippocampal slices that can be easily adapted to other brain regions. Brain slices are laid on porous membranes and culture media is allowed to form an interface. This method preserves the gross architecture of the hippocampus for up to 2 weeks in culture.
14:57
Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
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Cited by 62 •
2011
This article outlines procedures for preparing hippocampal slices from rats and transgenic mice for the study of synaptic alterations associated with brain aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
FAQs
Maintaining oxygenated artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) and carefully regulated conditions supports tissue viability after separation from the brain. These controls create a stable experimental environment in which neuronal activity and synaptic communication can be observed without the many interacting influences present in the intact brain. As a result, investigators can examine hippocampal function under defined experimental conditions.
Acute slices and intact isolated hippocampi provide different experimental configurations rather than interchangeable labels. A slice offers a tissue preparation for studying preserved hippocampal circuits, whereas an intact isolated hippocampus retains the separated structure as a whole. The appropriate format depends on whether the experiment requires the slice-based or intact preparation for recording, manipulation, and analysis.
Direct recording and manipulation allow investigators to connect neuronal activity with synaptic transmission and plasticity. In particular, changes in synaptic strength can be examined in relation to long-term potentiation, a key experimental focus in hippocampal neuroscience. Because the preparation reduces overall brain complexity, measured responses can be interpreted within the tissue under study and compared across controlled treatments.
An experiment begins by separating hippocampal tissue from the brain and selecting an acute-slice or intact isolated configuration. The tissue is then maintained in oxygenated ACSF under carefully regulated conditions before neuronal activity or synaptic responses are recorded or manipulated. This sequence preserves a workable preparation while giving researchers direct access to the processes being tested.
Applications extend from basic memory research to disease and treatment studies. Investigators use the preparation to examine mechanisms relevant to learning and memory, characterize epilepsy-related neural activity, assess neuropharmacological effects, and study cellular responses to disease or experimental treatments. These uses make the method valuable when the goal is to isolate hippocampal contributions from broader brain-wide influences.
Within neuroscience, the isolated hippocampal preparation is especially useful for testing how defined interventions affect synaptic function and plasticity. Researchers can directly manipulate the tissue and monitor neuronal or synaptic outcomes, then relate those findings to learning, memory, or disease mechanisms. Its reduced complexity improves experimental control, although conclusions are focused on the isolated hippocampal system.