Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Natural Sciences
First Advisor
Beulig, Alfred
Area of Concentration
Neurobiology
Abstract
Tissue clearing technologies such as CUBIC (clear, unobstructed brain imaging cocktails and computational analysis) have the potential to greatly improve the accuracy with which the three-dimensional structure of biological tissues can be depicted. In the present study, a modified CUBIC protocol (mCUBIC) was applied to full-length fixed optic nerves (ON) of mice having undergone repeated mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI) or a sham treatment (rsham). Direct fluorescent staining and immunohistochemistry was used to assess inflammatory and degenerative activity in the tissue by confocal microscopy. It was demonstrated that mCUBIC tissue retained quantifiable microstructural and morphological characteristics, was amenable to immunostaining, and allowed for the maintained emission of fluorescent signals. These results suggest that, with continued improvements in tissue clearing techniques and technology, methods such as mCUBIC may allow researchers to depict neurobiological tissues with greater sensitivity and accuracy than what was previously possible.
Recommended Citation
Myers, April, "VOLUMETRIC HISTOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF OPTIC NERVE DEGENERATION USING MODIFIED CLEAR, UNOBSTRUCTED BRAIN IMAGING COCKTAILS AND COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS (mCUBIC)" (2018). Theses & ETDs. 5570.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5570