Standard procedures were used to prepare organotypic hippocampal slice cultures from rats at postnatal age P 7–9 [48]. In brief, animals were decapitated, hippocampi were rapidly isolated, and transversally chopped in 400 µm thick slices using a McIllwain tissue chopper. Isolation was done in dissection medium containing 100 ml MEM (EBSS, 25 mM HEPES) (Invitrogen), 1 ml penicillin/streptomycin, 1 ml 1 M Tris buffer, pH 7.2. After 30 min recovery at 4°C slices were placed onto Millicell cell culture inserts (Millipore). Medium contained 100 ml MEM, 1 ml 200 mM L-glutamine, 50 ml HBSS and 50 ml horse serum.
