Objective        To identify the histological features and channel functions of adeno-associated AAV2/8-CaMKIIα-ChR2-mCherry expressed in medial prefrontal glutamatergic neurons of rats.       Methods      Adeno-associated AAV 2/8-CaMKIIα-ChR2-mCherry was injected into the medial prefrontal cortex of SD male rats by using stereotaxic apparatus. In 4 to 6 weeks later

immunofluorescence    assay was used to detect the expression of mCherry in the glutamate neurons. Electrophysiological characteristics of the channel prot

ein channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) expressed in glutamatergic neurons were observed under light stimulations at different frequencies.       Results       The viruses were successfully injected into the medial prefrontal cortex of the rats

and the objective channel protein ChR2 was specifically expressed in the cell membrane of glutamatergic neurons

with an expression rate of (94.6±0.9)%. Glutamate neurons with ChR2 expression showed optogenetic stimulation to the blue light (470 nm

20 mW/mm

2

5 ms

5~80 Hz) stably

and the activations were significant to low frequencies (5

10 and 20 Hz) than to high  frequencies (P0.001).       Conclusion       Adeno-associated virus AAV2/8-CaMKIIα-ChR2-mCherry successfully leads the expression of channel protein ChR2 in the cell membrane of glutamatergic neurons

and the cells show frequency-selective to light stimulation.