Videomicroscopy of acute brain slices from amygdala and hippocampus.
Video-enhanced contrast, differential-interference contrast microscopy (VEC-DICM) was used to visualize the cytoarchitecture and subcellular neuronal structure of acute brain slices from rat hippocampus and amygdala. Even at low-power magnification, the VEC-DICM system vastly improved our ability to visualize and examine the gross organization of the tissue. With medium-power magnification, the neuronal somata and proximal dendrites were clearly visible. With high-power magnification, some of the subcellular details could be clearly discerned--including cell nuclei, cell nucleoli, fine dendritic processes, and varicosities that may be synaptic expansions. We conclude that improved optical techniques should be valuable to cellular neurobiologists interested in structure-function relationships in brain slices.
Keenan
C L
CL
Division of Neurosciences, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010.
Chapman
P F
PF
Chang
V C
VC
Brown
T H
TH
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000679:Amygdala / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D014743:Videotape Recording