A versatile clearing agent for multi-modal brain imaging

Year: 2015

Authors: Costantini I., Ghobril J.P., Di Giovanna A.P., Allegra Mascaro A. L., Silvestri L., Müllenbroich M.C., Onofri L., Conti V., Vanzi F., Sacconi L., Guerrini R., Markram H., Iannello G., Pavone F.S.

Autors Affiliation: European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy, University of Florence, Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; National Institute of Optics, National Research Council, Largo Fermi 6, 50125 Florence, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Via Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Laboratory of Neural Microcircuitry, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Station 15, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland, 5Department of Engineering, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Roma, Italy; Pediatric Neurology and Neurogenetics Unit and Laboratories, Department of Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Child Health, A. Meyer Children’s Hospital – University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 24, 50139 Florence, Italy; Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Romana 17, 50125 Florence, Italy.

Abstract: Extensive mapping of neuronal connections in the central nervous system requires high-throughput µm-scale imaging of large volumes. In recent years, different approaches have been developed to overcome the limitations due to tissue light scattering. These methods are generally developed to improve the performance of a specific imaging modality, thus limiting comprehensive neuroanatomical exploration by multi-modal optical techniques. Here, we introduce a versatile brain clearing agent (2,2′-thiodiethanol; TDE) suitable for various applications and imaging techniques. TDE is cost-efficient, water-soluble and low-viscous and, more importantly, it preserves fluorescence, is compatible with immunostaining and does not cause deformations at sub-cellular level. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in different applications: in fixed samples by imaging a whole mouse hippocampus with serial two-photon tomography; in combination with CLARITY by reconstructing an entire mouse brain with light sheet microscopy and in translational research by imaging immunostained human dysplastic brain tissue.

Journal/Review: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS

Volume: 5      Pages from: 9808-1  to: 9808-9

More Information: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreements no. 604102 (Human Brain Project) and nu 284464 (LASERLAB-EUROPE). The research has also been supported by the Italian Ministry for Education, University and Research in the framework of the Flagship Project NANOMAX, by \”Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze\” (private foundation) and by Regione Toscana (grant number: POR-CreO 2007-2013). We thank Prof. Giovanni Delfino for discussions on the electron microscopy data and Marcel van
KeyWords: Tomography, Animals; Brain; Contrast Media; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Mice; Neuroimaging; Tomography
DOI: 10.1038/srep09808

Citations: 183
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