An electrophysiological study of rat hippocampal function using the in vitro slice preparation

Williamson, Robert (1991) An electrophysiological study of rat hippocampal function using the in vitro slice preparation. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

A number of electrophysiological techniques have been employed to study synaptic function in the rat hippocampal slice preparation. The project had 3 components:

In the first, a method was developed for acutely isolating hippocampal pyramidal cells from the adult rat. This was designed to produce cells which would allow investigation, using patch-clamp techniques, of ionic cell currents in single neurones.

The second project was an extracellular electrophysiological study of CA1 pyramidal cell region in the slice. A paired-pulse protocol was used to investigate differences in synaptic inhibition between septa] and temporal poles of the hippocampus. The septal pole was found to have significantly greater inhibition and also exhibited a greater ability to maintain Long Term Potentiation (LTP), a proposed physiological correlate of memory (Bliss & Lomo, 1973).

The third was an investigation of the excitatory amino acid receptors responsible for epileptiform bursting activity in 2 animal models of epilepsy: a chronic model of temporal lobe epilepsy, involved prior lesioning of the hippocampus with kainic acid, and an acute model which involved application of the GABA-A receptor antagonist, bicuculline.

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