Brain slicing method presented step by step in a laboratory.

1. Brain Slicing

2. Advantages
• Precise control over experimental
conditions
• Mechanical stability (heartbeat,
respiration)
• No blood brain barrier
• Easy access of cell location and
identification

3. Disadvantages
• Lack of inputs and outputs of normal brain
• The slicing process can damage the tissue
• Gets “older” faster
• Artificial bathing solution is not precise

4. Usage
• Study of synaptic activity
• Voltage clamp
• Iontophoresis
• Long term potentiation, adaptation and
kindling

5. Main steps
1. Chill and oxygenate the sucrose-aCSF
(artificial Cerebro-Spinal Fluid)
2. Prepare for brain removal
3. Brain removal
4. Slice preparation
5. Clean up of the workbench

6. Preparation
• Crush dry ice into powder and put in tray

7. Rinse beaker
• With distilled water and aCSF

8. Put beaker in ice tray
• Add water, fill beaker with aCSF

9. Place air-stone bubblers in beakers

10. Put in net suspension device

11. Prepare dissection tray
• Rongeur, scissors, scalpel

12. Prepare dissection tray
• Filter papers, wipes, super glue

13. Fill cylinder with 3ml isoflurane

14. Anesthetization container

15. Anesthetize the rat

16. Weigh the rat
• Weighing dish

17. Decapitate mouse head
• And remove the remaining body

18. Remove excess blood and tissue
• Dip in petri dish with aCSF

19. Use a scalpel to cut the scalp
• Use spatula to remove the brain

20. Put super glue on pedestal
• Then drop the brain

21. Put slicing pedestal on slicer