Monitoring age-related changes of collagen content and vascularity in ganglia using unbiased stereological methods.
We describe for the first time application of unbiased stereological techniques to estimate total volume and volume fractions of interest in individual dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Volume estimates were obtained using a two-stage sampling design. Sections were systematically sampled following a random start, from DRG which were embedded in methacrylate and exhaustively sectioned. We further examined the efficiency of point counting irregular volume fractions housed in a regular reference volume. We found that the precision of volume estimates was relatively unaffected by exhaustive sampling, and that the magnitude of error was, in large part, determined by object shape.
Boyd-Clark
L C
LC
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, 3010 Victoria, Australia.
Galea
M P
MP
Briggs
C A
CA
Opeskin
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000737:chemistry; D006652:Histological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D003094:Collagen