Quantitative morphology of the nervous system: Expanding horizons

Abstract

In this review, we show how some of the recent developments in quantitative morphology (QM) are creating exciting new opportunities for studying the structure of the nervous system. We begin with a brief overview of QM, focusing on the problems neurobiologists are likely to encounter when collecting and interpreting data from tissue sections. Many of these problems, which range from selecting a sampling method to learning the latest methods, are being solved by creating a new generation of research tools. We describe several of these new tools and show how they can be used to assemble new quantitative methods for in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, and camera lucida drawings. The review includes examples of how QM is being used to study the brain and concludes with a brief discussion of diagnostic pathology and its need for new quantitative approaches.

Chronic systemic hypoxia causes intra‐retinal angiogenesis

“…One aspect of our methods that merits specific comment is the use of stereological techniques to detect angiogenesis in the retinal circulation. These have been widely used as a method of obtaining quantitative information in three dimensions about structural changes in the vascular bed of other organs from two‐dimensional histological images, particularly in the lung and nervous system (Bolender et al. 1991; LaManna et al.…”

“…One aspect of our methods that merits specific comment is the use of stereological techniques to detect angiogenesis in the retinal circulation. These have been widely used as a method of obtaining quantitative information in three dimensions about structural changes in the vascular bed of other organs from twodimensional histological images, particularly in the lung and nervous system (Bolender et al 1991;LaManna et al 1992;Harik et al 1995;Hopkins et al 2001;Howell et al 2003). Stereology has been used previously to evaluate changes in the retinal circulation of the rat during diabetes (Anderson et al 1995(Anderson et al , 1996 et al 1992;Harik et al 1995;Howell et al 2003).…”

Evidence for estrogen receptor in cell nuclei and axon terminals within the lateral habenula of the rat: Regulation during pregnancy

“…Neuronal and cellular profiles in our 40-µm sections are referred to as nuclei of neurons or cells. It should be noted that these terms retain the qualifications and limits of data collected on any particle in a two-dimensional analysis (Bolender et al, 1991;Coggeshall, 1992). The analysis resulted in data that could be used to demonstrate the relative differences in the average number of neurons containing ER-ir across experimental groups.…”

Glutamate and non-glutamate receptor mediated toxicity caused by oxygen and glucose deprivation in organotypic hippocampal cultures

“…Dead pyramidal neurons were identified by characteristic pyknotic nuclei and disappearance of the normal cytoplasm and cellular architecture (Brown and Brierly, 1972). A quantitative analysis of cell death in the CA1 region of each culture was performed using a modification of the sampling method described by Bolender et al (1991). Multiple high power fields were examined and internal cursors were used to delineate the cells to be counted in multiple samples of each CA1 region.…”