Effect of electrical stimulation on the viability of the hippocampal slice preparation.

Continuous electrical stimulation of rat hippocampal slices at a frequency of 1 Hz brought about a 50% decline in the evoked population spike amplitude at a rate 5 times faster than that caused by very low frequency (1/600 Hz) stimulation. Within 2 hr after the high frequency stimulation began the evoked response totally disappeared. By contrast low frequency stimulated slices maintained an evoked response for at least 9 hr. Continuous electrical stimulation, especially at high frequency seems to facilitate the deterioration of the in vitro hippocampal slice preparation.