Empirical Experience Using the Physical Disector Counting Technique for Estimating Pyramidal Cell Numbers in the Rat Hippocampus

Abstract

Quantitative data obtained using stereological techniques concerning total numbers of pyramidal cells in and the volume of the hippocampus have been of crucial importance in terms of providing unbiased results regarding the effect of various factors on the hippocampus, such as antioxidants, chemicals, hyperglycaemia, electromagnetic field, seizures, electroconvulsive stimulation, brain injuries and psychiatric disorders. Stereology has also been useful in studies of the prenatal development of the hippocampus and adult hippocampal neurogenesis, as well as the characteristics and functions of hippocampal cells. Disector methods are used to estimate the numerical density and the total number of cells, using two approaches, physical and optical. The aim of this chapter is to provide a step-by-step guide to the estimation of total pyramidal cell numbers and volume using the physical disector technique. © 2024 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.