FUNCTIONAL STABILITY OF HIPPOCAMPAL SLICES AFTER TREATMENT WITH CYCLOOXYGENASE INHIBITORS

THE influence of cyclooxygenase inhibitors on functional stability of hippocampal slices, determined by electrophysiological criteria of rec overy after slicing and long-term maintainence of population activity, was studied. Transient (3 min) treatment of slices during slicing wit h indomethacin (45 mu M) or aspirin (0.5 mM) allowed registration of t he population responses from the second minute. The activity reached 1 00% after 15 min incubation and could be registrated for 3 days under conditions of overnight hypothermia. The presence of the same drugs fo r the entire incubation period had the same effect. The present findin gs suggest that slicing is a crucial point for triggering of pathologi cal events mediated by cyclooxygenase products and that blockade of cy clooxygenase provides for the further high longterm functional stabili ty of brain slices.