ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF EMBRYONIC HIPPOCAMPAL-NEURONS FROM THE RAT GROWN ON SYNTHETIC THIN-FILMS

We have studied the electrophysiological properties of hippocampal neu rons grown on surfaces of organic thin films formed on glass or silico n substrates and on microelectronic device surfaces in culture. Hippoc ampal neurons were dissociated from embryonic rats and plated on subst rates chemically modified with laminin peptide in a chemically defined medium. The electrophysiological properties of the neurons were studi ed using patch-clamp amplifier technique. We observed that the neurons grown on these substrates develop resting membrane potentials more ne gative than -33 mV after 3 days in culture and are able to produce act ion potentials. More interestingly we found that the neurons when grow n on the microelectronic surfaces develop similar electrophysiological characteristics as those on the glass surfaces. Passive electrical pr operties (C-m = 27 +/- 5 pF, R(m) greater than or equal to 1 G Omega) of the neurons studied by impedance spectroscopy did not change consid erably during the first week in culture. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ire land Ltd.