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A new intraretinal recording system with multiple-barreled electrodes for pharmacological studies on cat retinal
1CREST, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, and Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Biophysical Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering Science, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan. takao@phys2.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
To overcome technical difficulties associated with in vivo intraretinal recordings of cat retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) with multiple-barreled electrodes, we developed a new guide-trocar system that consisted of a small-diameter and large-diameter pipes. We also improved the method to construct tungsten-in-glass multiple-barreled electrodes suitable for intraretinal recording from RGCs. Only the small-diameter pipe was inserted into the eye ball through the sclera, through which only the taper part of a multiple-barreled electrode pass. The large-diameter pipe stably held the electrode at its trunk and remained outside the eye ball. Insertion of only the small-diameter pipe minimized damages in the eye ball and prevented the eye ball movements while positioning the electrode. The system allowed us to keep the recordings stable for more than 1 h. Iontophoretically applied L-glutamate successfully activated RGCs of both X and Y types in the cat retina.