Figure 1. Ex vivo semi-intact somatosensory preparation.

(A–B) Photograph (A) and schematic (B) of the semi-intact somatosensory preparation. The right dorsal hindlimb skin with saphenous nerve and anterior cutaneous branch are dissected in continuity with L2 and L3 roots and the spinal cord. Region containing receptive fields of recorded neurons is dotted. (C) Diagram illustrating targeted region of spinal cord. Patch-clamp recordings are made rostral to L2 root or between L2 and L3 (red dotted circles). (D) Somatotopic organization of saphenous nerve and anterior cutaneous branch. Hindlimb skin is represented in the area of spinal cord that is shaded yellow. The region that is most accessible for recording is shaded green. (E) Side view of the preparation. The spinal cord is pinned to Sylgard chamber and illuminated by high-power infrared LED. (F) Oblique infrared LED illumination reveals a lamina I neuron, as indicated by arrows, which is targeted for recording by glass electrode, indicated with dotted lines.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22866.002

Figure 1—figure supplement 1. Alternative recording chamber optimized for pharmacological experiments.

(A–B) Photograph (A) and cartoon (B) of the chamber. The Sylgard-carved water route enables a reduced perfusion rate and a rapid solution exchange for temporal control of drug application and removal.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22866.003