Coupling of organotypic brain slice cultures to silicon-based arrays of electrodes

Fetal or early postnatal brain tissue can be cultured in viable and healthy condition for several weeks with development and preservation of the basic cellular and connective organization as so-called organotypic brain slice cultures. Here we demonstrate and describe how it is possible to establish such hippocampal rat brain slice cultures on biocompatible silicon-based ch ips with arrays of electrodes with a histological organization comparable t o that of conventional brain slice cultures grown by the roller drum techni que and on semiporous membranes. Intracellular and extracellular recordings from neurons in the slice cultures show that the electroresponsive propert ies of the neurons and synaptic circuitry are in accordance with those desc ribed far cells in acutely prepared slices of the adult rat, hippocampus. B ased on the recordings and the possibilities of stimulating the cultured ce lls through the electrode arrays it is anticipated that the setup eventuall y will allow long-term studies of defined neuronal networks and provide val uable information on both normal and neurotoxicological and neuropathologic al conditions. (C) 1999 Academic Press.