Tag: acute brain slices

Publication Highlight: Mapping the Electrophysiology of the Tail Striatum with Riley et al.

Key Takeaways The tail striatum (TS) is a poorly understood brain region linked to sensory processing, and its medium spiny neurons (MSNs) have never been characterized electrophysiologically in depth — until now. TS-MSNs are electrophysiologically distinct from dorsolateral striatum (DLS) MSNs, with more depolarized resting potentials, lower rheobase, and stronger spontaneous excitatory input. The three […]

Written by Abby Chu on September 16, 2026

Publication Highlight: Psilocybin Prevents Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy by Preserving Mitochondrial Trafficking

Key Takeaways Two doses of psilocybin administered before chemotherapy prevented peripheral neuropathy in mice for up to eight months, without impairing the anti-tumor efficacy of the chemotherapy itself. The neuroprotective effect required serotonin 2A receptor activation but not the drug’s hallucinogenic properties. A nonhallucinogenic 2A agonist worked equally well, opening a practical path to clinical […]

Written by Abby Chu on September 14, 2026

Publication Highlight: How Kv3.1 Channels Shape High-Frequency Firing in the Developing Auditory Brainstem

Key Takeaways Kv3.1b potassium channel expression increases substantially in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) of mice after the onset of hearing, but this upregulation does not explain why individual action potentials become shorter and faster during development. Instead, increased Kv3.1b expression specifically supports the ability of DCN fusiform neurons to sustain high-frequency firing,a capacity critical […]

Written by Abby Chu on September 14, 2026

Publication Highlight: Synthetic Cooling Agents in E-Cigarettes Enhance Nicotine’s Addictive Grip on the Brain

Key Takeaways Synthetic cooling agents WS-3 and WS-23 — widely used as menthol substitutes in e-cigarettes — significantly enhance nicotine self-administration behavior in mice, matching the reinforcing effects of menthol itself. These coolants boost dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens core, increase the excitability of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area, and amplify nicotine-induced […]

Written by Abby Chu on August 17, 2026

Precisionary Instruments Partners with Agilent to Advance Live Tissue Metabolic Analysis

Integrating the Compresstome® Vibrating Microtome into the Agilent Seahorse XF Flex Tissue Workflow ASHLAND, Mass., June 3, 2025 — Precisionary Instruments today announced a strategic partnership with Agilent to enhance the preparation of live tissue slices for use with the Agilent Seahorse XF Flex Analyzer and 3D Capture Microplate. This collaboration integrates Precisionary’s Compresstome® VF-510-0Z […]

Written by Abby Chu on June 3, 2025

A Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide to Acute Brain Slices for Electrophysiology

At Precisionary Instruments, we understand that preparing acute brain slices for electrophysiology is a highly technical and delicate process. Many researchers have reached out to us, looking for a clear and structured protocol that walks them through every step. In response, we have developed a detailed, step-by-step experimental guide, one of the first of its […]

Written by Abby Chu on March 26, 2025

Understanding ACSF: A Crucial Solution for Electrophysiology and Acute Brain Slice Maintenance

Artificial Cerebrospinal Fluid (ACSF) is an essential buffer solution widely used in electrophysiology experiments, particularly to keep acute brain slices alive during research. This solution closely mimics the natural cerebrospinal fluid found in the brain and is designed to maintain neuronal viability and function during sensitive experiments like patch-clamp recordings. In this article, we will […]

Written by Abby Chu on September 10, 2024

How sex hormones sculpt the brain

Sex hormones are hormones that play a role in the development and maintenance of the male and female reproductive systems, as well as secondary sexual characteristics. There are two main categories of sex hormones: androgens and estrogens. Androgens are responsible for the development and maintenance of male characteristics. The main androgen in males is testosterone, […]

Written by Abby Chu on May 29, 2023