Area specific functional activity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. A 2-deoxyglucose study

Slices of hippocampus from 5 day old rats were cultured by the roller-tube technique. After 4 weeks [14C]-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) was added to the medium for 45 min, whereafter the cultures were frozen and cut on a cryostat. The sections were thawed onto coverslips and processed for autoradiography. Image analysis of the resulting autoradiographs showed a higher uptake of 2-DG in CA3 than in CA1 and fascia dentata, whereas CA1 and fascia dentata did not differ significantly with respect to 2-DG uptake. The study demonstrates, that organotypic hippocampal slice cultures display an area specific glucose utilization, and thus functional activity, which is similar to that observed in adult conscious rats. We therefore anticipate that the method can be used to examine the integrated activity of the whole neuronal network in these cultures under various manipulations, like hypoxia or additions of various drugs.