Optical tissue clearing enables rapid, precise and comprehensive assessment of three-dimensional morphology in experimental nerve regeneration research.

ABSTRACT: Morphological analyses are key outcome assessments for nerve regeneration studies but are historically limited to tissue sections. Novel optical tissue clearing techniques enabling three-dimensional imaging of entire organs at a subcellular resolution have revolutionized morphological studies of the brain. To extend their applicability to experimental nerve repair studies we adapted these techniques to nerves and their motor and sensory targets in rats. The solvent-based protocols rendered harvested peripheral nerves and their target organs transparent within 24 hours while preserving tissue architecture and fluorescence. The optical clearing was compatible with conventional laboratory techniques, including retrograde labeling studies, and computational image segmentation, providing fast a

SUBMITTER: Daeschler SC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8643045 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature