Abstract
This chapter reviews methods for the preparation of central nervous system (CNS) tissues for scanning (SEM) and high-voltage electron microscopic (HVEM) studies of the cerebral vasculature. The techniques described here have been used by the authors for the past two decades for investigations of pathologic alterations of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after a variety of experimentally induced injuries in mammalian (1–4) and non-mammalian species (5–7). The question of when to use one morphologic application over another becomes important for studies of cerebrovascular endothelial cells (ECs).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Lossinsky, A. S., Garcia, J. H., Iwanowski, L., and Lightfoote, W. E. Jr. (1979) New ultrastructural evidence for a protein transport system in endothelial cells of gerbil brains. Acta Neuropathol. (Berl.) 47, 105–110.
Farrell, C. L., and Shivers, R. R. (1984) Capillary junctions of the rat are not affected by osmotic opening of the blood-brain barrier. Acta Neuropathol. (Berl.) 63, 179–189.
Lossinsky, A. S., Buttle, K. F., Pluta, R., Mossakowski, M. J., and Wisniewski, H. M. (1999) Immunoultrastructural expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1/CD54) in endothelial cell vesiculo-tubular structures (VTS) and vesiculo-vacuolar organelles in blood-brain barrier development and injury. Cell Tiss. Res. 295, 77–88.
Shivers, R. R., Edmonds, C. L., and Del Maestro, R. F. (1984) Microvascular permeability in induced astrocytoma and peritumoral neuropil of rat brain. A high-voltage electron microscope-protein tracer study. Acta Neuropathol. 64, 192–202.
Shivers, R. R. (1979) The effect of hyperglycemia on brain capillary permeability in the lizard, Anolis carolinensis. A freeze-fracture analysis of blood-brain barrier pathology. Brain Res. 170, 509–522.
Shivers, R. R. (1980) The blood-brain barrier of Anolis carolinensis. A high voltage EM-protein tracer study. Anat. Rec. 196, 172A.
Kenny, T P., and Shivers, R. R. (1974) The blood-brain barrier in a reptile, Anolis carolinensis. Tiss. Cell 6, 319–333
Lossinsky, A. S., Badmajew, V., Robson, J., Moretz, R. C, and Wisniewski, H. M. (1989) Sites of egress of inflammatory cells and horseradish peroxidase transport across the blood-brain barrier in a murine model of chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Acta Neuropathol. 78, 359–371.
Lossinsky, A. S., Pluta, R., Song, M. J., Badmajew, V., Moretz, R. C, and Wisniewski, H. M. (1991) Mechanisms of inflammatory cell attachment in chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. A scanning and high-voltage electron microscopic study of the injured mouse blood-brain barrier. Microvasc. Res. 41, 299–310.
Lossinsky, A. S., Song, M. J., Pluta, R., Moretz, R. C, and Wisniewski, H. M. (1990) Combined conventional transmission, scanning, and high-voltage electron microscopy of the same blood vessel for the study of targeted inflammatory cells in blood-brain barrier inflammation. Microvasc. Res. 40, 427–438.
Lossinsky, A. S., Song, M. J., and Wisniewski, H. M. (1989) High-voltage electron microscopic studies of endothelial cell tubular structures in the mouse blood-brain barrier following brain trauma. Acta Neuropathol. 77, 480–488.
Shivers, R. R., and Harris, R. J. (1984) Opening of the blood-brain barrier in Anolis carolinensis. A high voltage electron microscope protein tracer study. Neuropathol. Appl. Neurobiol. 10, 343–356.
Karnovsky, M. J. (1965) A formaldehyde-glutaraldehyde fixative of high osmolarity for use in electron microscopy. J. Cell Biol. 27, 137A.
Spurr, A. R. (1969) A low-viscosity epoxy resin embedding medium for electron microscopy. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 26, 31–43.
Hayat, M. A., ed. (1970) Principles and Techniques of Electron. Biological Applications., vol 1. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.
Kalimo, H., Garcia, J. H., Kamijyo, Y., et al. (1974) Cellular and subcellular alterations of human CNS. Studies utilizing in situ perfusion fixation at immediate autopsy. Arch. Pathol. 97, 352–359.
Hayat, M. A., ed. (1981) Fixation for Electron Microscopy. Academic Press, New York.
Ribeiro-Da-Silva, A., Priestley J. V., and Cuello, A. C. (1993) Pre-embedding ultrastructural immunocytochemistry. In Immunohistochemistry. Cuello, A. C, ed. John Wiley & Sons, NY, pp. 181–227.
McDowell, E. M., and Trump, B. F (1976) Histologic fixatives suitable for diagnostic light and electron microscopy. Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. 100, 405–414.
Mergner, W. J., Sutherland, J. C, Tigertt, W. D., and Trump, B. F (1980) To answer questions. A review of an autopsy service. Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. 104, 167–170.
Anderson, T. F (1951) Technique for the preservation of three-dimensional structure in preparing specimens for the electron microscope. Trans. NY. Acad. Sci. 13, 130–134.
Goldstein, J. I., Newbury, D. E., Echlin, P., et al., eds. (1992) Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microanalysis. A Text for Biologists, Materials Scientists, and Geologists, 2nd ed. Plenum Press, New York.
Hayat, M. A., and Zirkin, B. R. (1973) Critical point drying method. In Principles and Techniques of Electron Microscopy, Vol. 3. Hayat, M. A., ed. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, pp. 297–313.
Bray, D. F., Bagu, J., and Koegler, P. (1993) Comparison of hexamethyldisalizane (HMDS), peldri II, and critical-point drying methods for scanning electron microscopy of biological specimens. Micros. Res. Techn. 26, 489–495.
Pluta, R., Lossinsky, A. S., Mossakowski, M. J., Faso, L., and Wisniewski, H. M. (1991) Reassessment of a new model of complete cerebral ischemia in rats. Method of induction of clinical death, pathophysiology and cerebrovascular pathology. Acta Neuropathol. 83, 1–11.
Wong, D., and Dorovini-Zis, K. (1995) Expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) by human brain microvessel endothelial cells in primary culture. Microvasc. Res. 49, 325–339.
Graham, R. C, and Karnovsky, M. J. (1966) The early stages of absorption of injected horseradish peroxidase in the proximal tubules of mouse kidney. Ultrastructural correlates by a new technique. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 14, 291–302.
Reese, T. S, and Karnovsky, M. J. (1967) Fine structural localization of a blood-brain barrier to exogenous peroxidase. J. Cell Biol. 34, 207–217.
Reynolds, E. S. (1963) The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron opaque stain in electron microscopy. J. Cell Biol. 17, 208–215.
Heuser, J. E., and Reese, T. S. (1973) Evidence for recycling of synaptic vesicle membrane during transmitter release at the frog neuromuscular junction. J. Cell Biol. 57, 315–344.
Locke, M., and Krishnan, N. (1971) Hot alcoholic phosphotungstic acid and uranyl acetate as routine stains for thick and thin sections. J. Cell Biol. 50, 550–557.
Hiraoka, J. I. (1972) A holder for mass treatment of grids, adapted especially to electron staining and autoradiography. Stain Technol. 47, 297–301.
Giammara, B. L. (1981) The Grid-All: a multiple grid handling, staining, and storage device for use in electron microscopy. Proc. Annu. Meet. Elect. Microsc. Soc. Am. 39, 552.
Hayat, M. A., ed. (1986) Basic Techniques for Transmission Electron Microscopy. Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 217–222.
Lossinsky, A. S., Wisniewski, H. M., Dambska, M., and Mossakowski, M. J. (1997) Ultrastructural studies of PECAM-1/CD31 expression in the developing mouse blood-brain barrier with the application of a pre-embedding technique. Fol. Neuropathol. 35, 163–170.
Davis, E. C, and Shivers, R. R. (1987) Membrane-associated dense plaques in smooth muscle cells of the common slug, Limax maximus: possible sites of transmembrane interaction of filaments. J. Submicrosc. Cytol. 19, 537–544.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2003 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Lossinsky, A.S., Shivers, R.R. (2003). Studies of Cerebral Endothelium by Scanning and High-Voltage Electron Microscopy. In: Nag, S. (eds) The Blood-Brain Barrier. Methods in Molecular Medicine™, vol 89. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-419-0:67
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-419-0:67
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-073-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-419-1
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols