Electrophoretic Delivery of GABA into the Epileptic Focus of an Anesthetized Mouse

Take an anesthetized mouse prepared for brain implant placement.

The mouse has a skull-fixed ground screw in contact with the cerebellum for reference signal recording.

Insert the probe connected to the headstage and ground screw into the hippocampus to record neuronal activity.

Identify synchronized bursts of neuronal activity, confirming probe placement in the hippocampal pyramidal layer.

Next, insert a GABA-filled microfluidic ion pump into the hippocampus, with a source electrode in its channel. The skull-fixed ground screw acts as the target electrode.

Finally, insert a micropipette into the hippocampus, and inject a potassium channel blocker to induce neuronal hyperexcitability, triggering seizures.

Immediately apply voltage to the pump to generate an electric field, driving GABA ions across the ion exchange membrane to the epileptic focus.

GABA induces chloride influx, reducing neuronal excitability and preventing seizures, confirming the efficacy of electrophoretic delivery.

For multi-channel silicon probe insertion, place the probe on the stereotaxic arm attached to a magnetic holder. And place the arm next to the stereotaxic frame. Set the stereotaxic arms in a slight 20-degree