Electrophysiological recording of hypothalamic brain regions in vivo using the transpharyngeal surgical approach in the rat

Mike Ludwig; Gareth Leng; Colin H. Brown

doi:10.1111/jne.70177

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Electrophysiological recording of hypothalamic brain regions in vivo using the transpharyngeal surgical approach in the rat

Journal article

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Electrophysiological recording of hypothalamic brain regions in vivo using the transpharyngeal surgical approach in the rat

Mike Ludwig, Gareth Leng and Colin H. Brown

Journal of neuroendocrinology, Vol.38(4), e70177

01/04/2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.70177

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https://hdl.handle.net/10523/50385

Abstract

hypothalamus

microdialysis

oxytocin

supraoptic nucleus

vasopressin

Transpharyngeal (ventral) surgery in urethane‐anaesthetised rats allows in vivo electrophysiological recording and/or imaging from superficial hypothalamic brain regions and from the pituitary gland. This surgical approach leaves the whole brain intact, providing a stable platform to study single or multiple identified cells over several hours with all central and peripheral inputs intact and the endocrine system functioning, which allows repeated drug application and stimulation of afferent inputs, as has been done for the arcuate nucleus, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) and suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) inputs to the supraoptic nucleus (SON). Exposing the ventral surface of the brain also allows simultaneous microdialysis for drug administration directly into the SON and for the collection of dialysate samples for measurement of somatodendritic neuropeptide release without disruption of the brain parenchyma. The most recent development using transpharyngeal surgery is two‐photon imaging from the vasculature of the ventral surface of the brain, which has given insight into how SON neuronal activity affects cerebral blood flow and has identified a previously unknown SCN to OVLT portal blood system. Here we provide a brief history of the development of transpharyngeal surgery in the rat, instructions to complete the surgery and suggestions for future studies, extrapolating from the most recent developments in its use.

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Published (Version of record) Open CC BY V4.0 — You are free to: Share - copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially; Adapt - remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms: Attribution - You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. No additional restrictions - You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits. Notices: You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation . No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.

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Record Identifier: 9926853438601891
Title: Electrophysiological recording of hypothalamic brain regions in vivo using the transpharyngeal surgical approach in the rat
Creators: Mike Ludwig
Gareth Leng
Colin H. Brown
Academic Unit: Physiology
Publication Details: Journal of neuroendocrinology, Vol.38(4), e70177
Publisher: Wiley
Date published ; e-published: 01/04/2026
Grant note: Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BB/S021035/1)
Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s) 2026. This work was first published in Journal of Neuroendocrinology (Wiley). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided that the original work is properly attributed to the creator(s) and the source, a link to the Creative Commons license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.
Language: English
Resource Type ; Subtype: Journal article