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Abstract
Slices of CNS tissue prepared from young rodents can be maintained in culture for
many weeks to months. The basic requirements are simple: a stable substratum, culture
medium, sufficient oxygenation and incubation at a temperature of about 36 degrees
C. Under these conditions, nerve cells continue to differentiate and to develop a
tissue organization that closely resembles that observed in situ. Several alternative
culturing methods have been developed recently. Slices maintained in stationary culture
with the interface method are ideally suited for questions requiring a three-dimensional
structure, whereas slices cultured in roller-tubes remain the method of choice for
experiments that require optimal optical conditions. In this report, three typical
experiments are discussed that illustrate the potential of the slice-culture technique.
The first example indicates that, due to their high neuronal connectivity, slice cultures
provide a very useful tool for studying the properties of synaptic transmission between
monosynaptically coupled cell pairs. The other two studies show how long-term application
of substances to slice cultures can be used to examine the consequences of epileptic
discharges in vitro, as well as the effects of slowly acting clostridial neurotoxins
on synaptic transmission.