A QUICK AND ACCURATE LINE-SAMPLING TECHNIQUE TO QUANTIFY MYELINATED AXONS IN PERIPHERAL-NERVE CROSS-SECTIONS

A quick accurate computer-assisted method of quantifying the number of myelinated axons in normal and experimental or regenerated peripheral nerve cross-sections is described. Using an IBM-PC, quantitation software and a light microscope with a camera lucida attachment, the number of axons in a sciatic nerve can be calculated in fifteen minutes. Nine nerve samples with various nerve diameters and axon densities were used to test the technique. Total counts (actual count) were compared to the number of axons estimated by the line-sampling technique (projected count) and the two groups varied up to 15%. The principle advantage of this method is that it saves time by eliminating photography and perfoming total counts. The technique can be applied to normal and regenerated peripheral nerve.