Figure 1. Under control conditions, acutely dissociated thalamic neurones stayed viable, retained their basic morphology and maintained a stable [Na⁺]_i.

A, results of sodium imaging from a group of neurones in control experiments. B, cell volume changes under control conditions. Cont, control values at the beginning of the incubation. C, images of a representative neurone collected in a control experiment. Top row, phase-contrast images. Note that the cell retained its shape and volume during the experiment; minor rounding and swelling were noticeable only at the end of the experiment. Bottom row, fluorescence images of the same neurone. The cell was incubated with Sodium Green. The absence of an increase in green fluorescence provides evidence of a relatively stable [Na⁺]_i.