A simple method for high resolution light microscopy of nervous tissue.

A simple method for high resolution light microscopy of nervous tissue is described. Tissue perfused with glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde and postfixed with osmium tetroxide is embedded in HistoResin (LKB Bromma), a new glycol methacrylate based embedding medium, and sectioned (2 microns) on a standard microtome. The method gives excellent preservation of tissue structure, which is far superior to that in paraffin sections and in fact resembles that in epoxy resin-embedded material. It does not, however, require the time, expertise and ultramicrotome needed to cut epoxy resin sections. This technique is particularly useful for assessing demyelination.