Abstract
Neuropathological studies are crucial for the new knowledge on pathophysiology and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The postmortem brain tissue processing method directly impacts on both the appropriate integrity and the biomolecules detection by different histological and molecular biology techniques. In this review we will discuss topics on the influence of some external factors on the preservation of the brain tissue for histological studies (histochemistry and immunohistochemistry), such as factors either prior or after the death, and the chosen method for the preservation of nervous tissue. By means of a specific example, we propose a strict record of various conditions involved in the method of preservation of nervous tissue, and its correlation with variables that measure the quality of the histological sample as markers of preservation of biological material for further studies.
Highlights
Neuropathological examinations are based on the preservation of the nervous system structures after the death for long periods of time in order to enable appropriate analysis of the macroscopic and microscopic findings of brain, spinal cord, and cranial nerves
We present the protocol based on aldehyde fixation of the material, followed by cryoprotection and freezing, because it is an effective and widely used method of preservation before the nervous tissue storage
The literature shows a wide variety of protocols used for both fixation and cryoprotection/freezing method, and the detailed knowledge of these methodologies contributes to a better final quality of the studied material
Summary
Neuropathological examinations are based on the preservation of the nervous system structures after the death for long periods of time in order to enable appropriate analysis of the macroscopic and microscopic findings of brain, spinal cord, and cranial nerves. We will restrict the preparation of postmortem brain tissue analysis for histological studies. Aiming at improving the quality of the biological material, we will review three groups of factors with great impact on brain tissue preservation for analysis by histological techniques (such as histochemistry and immunohistochemistry): brain premortem conditions, brain postmortem conditions, and the chosen method for brain tissue conservation. In order to reduce the interference of these factors on the final quality of the stored nervous tissue, we propose an analysis model based on linear regression that can be used as a marker of brain tissue conservation quality
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Jornal Brasileiro de Patologia e Medicina Laboratorial
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
