Optical recordings from hypothalamic neurons.

体内平衡功能，如体温调节、饮食和生殖都是由包括下丘脑在内的中枢神经系统控制的。几乎没有关于体温调节“网络”的知识，这使得很难将电生理和药理学数据与整个动物观察到的反应直接联系起来。本研究计划开发一种通过同时记录下丘脑培养物中多个神经元的活动来分析神经网络的系统。从新生大鼠（3天大）的视前区提取神经元进行分离和培养。神经元存活7-10天，第7天左右观察到长突起。为了对单个培养神经元进行光学记录，我们试图找出使神经元产生动作电位的条件。在34 ~ 42个温度范围内均无自发活性。谷氨酸（1 mM-0.1 M）或K+ (10-100 mM)也不能产生动作电位。高可用性光记录系统的信噪比需要几十mv的电压变化，因此没有动作电位光记录就不能用于分析下丘脑的神经元网络。

Homeostatic functions such as body temperature regulation, eating, drinkig, and reproduction are controlled by the central nervous system including the hypothalamus. There is almost no knowledge concerning thermoregulatory "network" , which makes it difficult to link electrophysiological and pharmachological data directly with responses observed in whole animals. Present study was planed to develop a system which analyzes the network by simultaneously recording activities of many neurons from hypothalamic culture preparation. Neurons taken from the preoptic area of new-born rats (three days old) were dissociated and cultrured. Neurons survived for 7-10 days and at around day 7 long processes were observed. In ordere to make optical recordings from single cultured neurons, we tried to find out conditions for making the neurons generate action potentials. No spontaneous activity was observed not only at 37ﾟCbut also in a wide temperature range of 34-42ﾟC.Application of glutamate (1 mM-0.1 M) or K+ (10-100 mM) also failed to generate action potentials. Signal to noise ratio of the plesently-available optical recording system requires voltage change of several tens mV.So without action potentials optical recordings can not be used for analyzing neuronal networks of the hypothalamus.