Figure 5.

Difference between “freshly isolated hippocampus” and “acute” hippocampal slices. For analysis of spinogenesis or electrophysiological experiment, “acute“ hippocampal slices are prepared according to the following procedure. (A) Hippocampus is sliced by 400 μm-thickness with a vibratome (Dosaka, Japan). (B) Hippocampal slices immediately after slice preparation contain the identical level of sex steroids and corticosteroids to that in the hippocampus in vivo. (C) During 2 h recovery in ACSF, hippocampal sex steroids, and corticosteroids diffuse into ACSF. (D) After recovery, hippocampal concentration of steroids decreases to below 0.5 nM for E2 and DHT, 1 nM for T, and 2 nM for CORT, respectively. These hippocampal slices are “acute” hippocampal slices. (E) For analysis of spinogenesis or electrophysiological experiment, “acute” slices are usually used.