title: An efficient method for estimating the total number of neurons in rat brain cortex.
abstract: An efficient method for the unbiased estimation of the total number of neurons in rat brain cortex is presented. The method is reasonable fast, the counting procedure takes 2-3 h per rat, and gives an estimate of the total neuron number in cortex cerebri with an CE of 0.10. The rat cerebral cortex is found to have a mean volume of 253 mm3 and to contain a mean of 21 million neurons. The method has been used in a neurotoxicologic study, in which rats were given toluene perorally in doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg/day, respectively, for 12 weeks, followed by an exposure-free period of 4 weeks. The total number of neurons in rat brain cortex cerebri showed no significant difference between exposed and non-exposed animals. The applicability of the method is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Research Laboratory, University Hospital of Hvidovre, Denmark.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Korbo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pakkenberg
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ladefoged
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gundersen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arlien-Søborg
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pakkenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D006652:Histological Techniques; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014050:Toluene / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D014050:Toluene