Article

A modified silver technique (de Olmos stain) for assessment of neuronal and axonal degeneration.

Hope Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) 02/2007; 399:31-9. DOI:10.1007/978-1-59745-504-6_3 pp.31-9
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Silver impregnation histological techniques yield excellent visualization of degenerating neurons and their processes in animal models of neurological diseases. These methods also provide a particularly valuable complement to current immunocytochemical techniques for recognition of axon injury in the setting of brain or spinal cord trauma, ischemia, or neurodegenerative diseases. Despite their utility, silver methods are not commonly used because of complex preparation requirements and inconsistent results obtained by inexperienced histologists. This chapter details a modification of the de Olmos amino-cupric-silver protocol, which has been adapted for efficient processing of large numbers of mouse or rat brains. One author (T.I.T.) has used this method for several years to identify degenerating neurons in adult and neonatal rodent brains. A detailed protocol is provided, with attention to the most critical variables in tissue fixation and solution preparation. Examples are shown of axon injury in the rat brain after focal ischemia.

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Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

animal models
 
axon injury
 
chapter details
 
complex preparation requirements
 
current immunocytochemical techniques
 
de Olmos amino-cupric-silver protocol
 
inconsistent results
 
large numbers
 
neonatal rodent brains
 
neurodegenerative diseases
 
neurological diseases
 
rat brain
 
rat brains
 
Silver impregnation histological techniques yield excellent visualization
 
silver methods
 
solution preparation
 
spinal cord trauma
 
tissue fixation