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Immunocytochemistry of Microglial Cells

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Immunocytochemistry and Related Techniques

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 101))

Abstract

Microglial cells are the resident macrophages of the central nervous system involved in all pathological processes in the brain as well as postnatal neurogenesis , aging , and synaptic plasticity . Therefore, the identification of microgliocytes is important for experimental neuroscience and clinical histopathological studies. This chapter presents a detailed protocol of Iba1 -immunocytochemistry to be used for detecting the microglial cells in paraffin sections of the brain of laboratory animals (mouse , rat , and rabbit ) and humans by using the same primary antibody through species . The preparations are suitable for transmitted light microscopy and confocal laser microscopy . The advantage of the paraffin sections is a better preservation of morphological details, the possibility to use archival material stored for a long time, the relative ease of tissue processing, and the opportunity to standardize the separate procedures and the protocol as a whole. The high intensity of immunocytochemical reaction, absence of nonspecific background staining , and clear visualization of cell processes allow performing the automated analysis of three-dimensional (3D ) organization of microglia .

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Acknowledgments

The study is supported by the Russian Fund for Basic Researches (RFBR#14-04-00049а).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Functional Morphology of the Central and Peripheral Nervous System, Department of General and Specific Morphology; Faculty of Dentistry and Medical Technologies, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the North-West Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Science, St. Petersburg State University, Ul. Akademika Pavlova, 12, St. Petersburg, 197376, Russian Federation

    Dmitrii E. Korzhevskii, Olga Kirik & Elena Sukhorukova

Authors
  1. Dmitrii E. Korzhevskii
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  2. Olga Kirik
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  3. Elena Sukhorukova
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dmitrii E. Korzhevskii .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Torino, Torino, Italy

    Adalberto Merighi

  2. Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Torino, Torino, Italy

    Laura Lossi

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Korzhevskii, D.E., Kirik, O., Sukhorukova, E. (2015). Immunocytochemistry of Microglial Cells. In: Merighi, A., Lossi, L. (eds) Immunocytochemistry and Related Techniques. Neuromethods, vol 101. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2313-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2313-7_12

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2312-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2313-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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