How to count cells: the advantages and disadvantages of the isotropic fractionator compared with stereology

Cell and Tissue Research
Suzana Herculano-HouzelJon H Kaas

Abstract

The number of cells comprising biological structures represents fundamental information in basic anatomy, development, aging, drug tests, pathology and genetic manipulations. Obtaining unbiased estimates of cell numbers, however, was until recently possible only through stereological techniques, which require specific training, equipment, histological processing and appropriate sampling strategies applied to structures with a homogeneous distribution of cell bodies. An alternative, the isotropic fractionator (IF), became available in 2005 as a fast and inexpensive method that requires little training, no specific software and only a few materials before it can be used to quantify total numbers of neuronal and non-neuronal cells in a whole organ such as the brain or any dissectible regions thereof. This method entails transforming a highly anisotropic tissue into a homogeneous suspension of free-floating nuclei that can then be counted under the microscope or by flow cytometry and identified morphologically and immunocytochemically as neuronal or non-neuronal. We compare the advantages and disadvantages of each method and provide researchers with guidelines for choosing the best method for their particular needs. IF is as accura...Continue Reading

References

Dec 22, 1992·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·B B AndersenB Pakkenberg
Dec 1, 1990·Journal of Neuroscience Methods·R E CoggeshallC M Klein
Jun 1, 1990·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·M J West, H J Gundersen
Dec 15, 1988·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·R W Williams, P Rakic
May 1, 1988·APMIS : Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica, Et Immunologica Scandinavica·H J GundersenA Vesterby
Oct 1, 1973·Archives of Disease in Childhood·J Dobbing, J Sands
Jul 1, 1971·Journal of Neurochemistry·H H Hess, C Thalheimer
Dec 1, 1984·Journal of Neuroscience Methods·R E CoggeshallC E Hulsebosch
Jan 1, 1996·Neurobiology of Aging·T RasmussenM J West
Jan 1, 1996·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·R E Coggeshall, H A Lekan
Sep 3, 1996·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·P R Rapp, M Gallagher
Sep 26, 1997·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·R W Guillery, K Herrup
Oct 29, 1998·Neuroscience Letters·A M InsaustiT F Vallina
Apr 7, 1999·Neurobiology of Aging·M E CalhounM Jucker
Jul 17, 1999·Trends in Neurosciences·C SchmitzH Heinsen
Jul 26, 2000·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·G J PopkenE G Jones
Sep 12, 2001·Trends in Neurosciences·C S von Bartheld
Apr 23, 2002·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·R W Guillery
Sep 1, 1954·Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology·I H HELLER, K A ELLIOTT
Jul 1, 1964·Journal of Neurochemistry·S ZAMENHOFP J ZAMENHOF
Apr 6, 2004·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Karl-Anton Dorph-PetersenDavid A Lewis
Jan 18, 2005·Neuroscience·C Schmitz, P R Hof
Mar 11, 2005·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Suzana Herculano-Houzel, Roberto Lent
Apr 23, 2008·Current Protocols in Neuroscience·Robert W WilliamsGlenn D Rosen
Jul 22, 2008·Acta Neuropathologica·Karl-Anton Dorph-PetersenDavid A Lewis
Feb 20, 2009·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Frederico A C AzevedoSuzana Herculano-Houzel
Aug 12, 2009·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Fabiana BandeiraSuzana Herculano-Houzel
Nov 20, 2009·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Philbert S TsaiDavid Kleinfeld
Aug 28, 2010·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Christine E CollinsJon H Kaas
Jan 14, 2011·Brain, Behavior and Evolution·Suzana Herculano-Houzel, Jon H Kaas
Jul 17, 2012·Frontiers in Neuroanatomy·Nicole A YoungChristine E Collins
Sep 27, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Daniel J MillerChet C Sherwood
Jan 9, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·C Nikoosh Carlo, Charles F Stevens
Mar 2, 2013·Frontiers in Neural Circuits·Nicole A YoungJon H Kaas
Aug 21, 2013·Cerebral Cortex·Christine J CharvetBarbara L Finlay
Oct 19, 2013·Brain : a Journal of Neurology·Carlos Humberto Andrade-MoraesRoberto Lent
Nov 6, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Nicole A YoungJon H Kaas

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Apr 22, 2015·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Suzana Herculano-HouzelRicardo de Oliveira-Souza
Sep 30, 2015·Brain Structure & Function·Ana V Oliveira-PintoRoberto Lent
Mar 17, 2015·Cell and Tissue Research·Christopher S von Bartheld, Fred S Wouters
Mar 7, 2015·Cell and Tissue Research·Stefano Geuna, Celia Herrera-Rincon
Aug 10, 2016·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Mariana GabiSuzana Herculano-Houzel
May 18, 2016·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Christopher S von BartheldSuzana Herculano-Houzel
Jan 27, 2017·Brain, Behavior and Evolution·Sandra E Dos SantosSuzana Herculano-Houzel
Oct 21, 2017·Microscopy Research and Technique·Alexandre Fioravante de SiqueiraAldo Eloizo Job
Jul 10, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Bruno MotaSuzana Herculano-Houzel
Jan 22, 2020·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Marcel BokelmannAndreas Kurth
Jul 14, 2020·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Suzana Herculano-HouzelPaul R Manger
Jul 15, 2017·Neurotoxicity Research·Yuganthini VijayanathanKalavathy Ramasamy
Nov 19, 2017·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Jami Bahney, Christopher S von Bartheld
Dec 14, 2017·Scientific Reports·Nathan P GriggAndrew N Iwaniuk
Feb 22, 2018·American Journal of Veterinary Research·Yoshihiko YuKazuyuki Uchida
Nov 4, 2020·Journal of Applied Toxicology : JAT·Anshul Srivastava, Joseph P Hanig
Dec 17, 2020·Frontiers in Neurology·Quirijn P VerhoogErwin A van Vliet
Dec 22, 2020·Annals of Operations Research·Sarojini M AttiliGiorgio A Ascoli
Jul 1, 2020·Neuroscience Letters·Kleber NevesRogério Panizzutti
Mar 25, 2021·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Rebekah Keating GodfreyWulfila Gronenberg
May 15, 2021·PloS One·Joshua I Raji, Christopher J Potter
Aug 9, 2019·Journal of Neuroscience Methods·Kleber NevesBruno Mota
Aug 7, 2021·Brain Structure & Function·Felipe CunhaAndrew N Iwaniuk

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Brain Aging

Here is the latest research on intrinsic and extrinsic factors, as well as pathways and mechanisms that underlie aging in the central nervous system.

Addiction

This feed focuses mechanisms underlying addiction and addictive behaviour including heroin and opium dependence, alcohol intoxication, gambling, and tobacco addiction.