Visualization of the ischemic core on native human brain slices by potassium staining method

Area of Science:

• Neuropathology
• Neuroimaging
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability.
• Accurate localization of ischemic brain tissue is crucial for understanding stroke pathology.
• Current methods for postmortem assessment of ischemic regions can be limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the potassium staining technique for localizing the ischemic core in human postmortem brain cryosections.
• To compare potassium staining results with postmortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
• To assess the reliability of potassium staining for guiding tissue sampling.

Main Methods:

• Postmortem MRI was performed on stroke patient brains within 24 hours of death.
• Horizontal cryosections of frozen brains were prepared and stained for potassium.
• Potassium and water content were measured in stained and unstained brain regions.

Main Results:

• Potassium staining reliably differentiated infarcted from non-infarcted brain areas.
• Infarcted regions showed significantly decreased potassium content (0.73 vs. 1.93 mg/L).
• Affected areas exhibited increased water content (81.6% vs. 72.9%).

Conclusions:

• Potassium staining is a reliable method for mapping ischemic cores in whole hemisphere human brain sections.
• This technique provides a "map" for targeted tissue sampling and comparison with imaging.
• Potassium staining offers a valuable tool for postmortem stroke research.