[Method for the intravital observation of neurons in a live spinal cord preparation].
A method was worked out permitting to study dynamics of structural changes in the liver spinal motoneurons of the frog. The possibility of comparative studies of the same cells on fixed and live preparations was demonstrated. The adjacent neurons in the live preparation differ in size, shape and staining intensity of vital dyes. The size of nonfixed motoneurons averages 1345 mkm. The nucleoplasmic ratio equals to 1:32. Upon mechanical lesion of neurons, numerous vacuoles appear in their cytoplasm, part of the cells are stained. The method permits to study the location of motoneuron dendrites as well as the distribution of nerve fibers with synapse-like thickenings which terminate on the cell. After fixation of the brain with the Carnoy liquid or 96 degrees ethanol, motoneurons shrink by 34.2% (the cytoplasm, nucleus and nucleolus by 34.7, 33.0 and 21.2%, resp.), However, the nucleoplasmic ratio does not change. Adjacent neurons decrease in size to various extent following the brain fixation (18-54%). No correlation was observed between the size of live neurons and the extent of their shrinkage after fixation.
D000818:Animals; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D011898:Ranidae; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
Metod prizhiznennogo nabliudeniia neĭronov na perezhivaiushchem preparate spinnogo mozga.