Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 16, 2025
Quantification of Neurovascular Protection Following Repetitive Hypoxic Preconditioning and Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Mice
Published on: May 4, 2015
Which pathologic staining method can visualize the hyperacute infarction lesion identified by diffusion MRI?: A
Kyung Sik Yi1, Chi-Hoon Choi1, Cheolkyu Jung2
1Department of Radiology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea.
Background:
The study aimed to establish a staining method that could delineate the macroscopic lesion boundary of a hyperacute infarction depicted by diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) and to validate the infarction boundary by comparing different staining methods.
New Method:
Thirteen rats with 1 -h middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction were included. Five different staining methods (Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Nissl, 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium hydrochloride (TTC), microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2), and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) stains) were used to identify whether the hyperacute infarction could be histopathologically identified. Dice indices were compared to evaluate similarities in the lesion area ascertained by DWI and the staining methods. Through macroscopic lesion delineation, each region was subdivided into abnormal regions in all three stains (ROIA), abnormal in two stains (ROIB), and abnormal in only one (ROIC). Microscopic cellular changes were evaluated and graded according to each region.
Results:
Mean Dice indices of the H&E stain were significantly higher than those of the Nissl- and MAP2-stained specimens (0.83 ± 0.052, 0.58 ± 0.107, and 0.56 ± 0.059, respectively; p = 0.000). Grading scores for ROIs in the DWI abnormal lesions varied by region: ROIA exhibited the most severe damage [median (IQR), 3 (1)], followed respectively by ROIB [median (IQR), 2 (0)] and ROIC [median (IQR), 1 (0)] COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: H&E stain best reflects 1 h hyperacute DWI abnormal lesions.
Conclusions:
H&E stain allowed for the macroscopic delineation of the 1 h DWI-abnormal lesions, while MAP2 and Nissl stains could only partially depict lesions.
Insights
Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining effectively delineates hyperacute infarction lesions on diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI). This method provides superior histopathological identification compared to other stains for early stroke assessment.
Area of Science:
- Neuropathology
- Neuroimaging
- Histology
Background:
- Hyperacute infarction identification is crucial for timely stroke intervention.
- Diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) detects early ischemic changes.
- Accurate histopathological correlation of DWI findings is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a staining method for delineating macroscopic lesion boundaries of hyperacute infarction on DWI.
- To validate the infarction boundary using various staining techniques.
- To compare the efficacy of different stains in identifying early ischemic lesions.
Main Methods:
- Five staining methods (H&E, Nissl, TTC, MAP2, TUNEL) were applied to rat MCA infarction models.
- Lesion areas from DWI were compared with histopathological findings using Dice indices.
- Regions of interest (ROIs) were categorized based on staining abnormalities (ROIA, ROIB, ROIC).
Main Results:
- Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining showed significantly higher Dice indices compared to Nissl and MAP2 stains (p=0.000).
- H&E staining best reflected the 1-hour hyperacute DWI abnormal lesions.
- Microscopic evaluation revealed the most severe cellular damage in ROIA.
Conclusions:
- H&E staining enables macroscopic delineation of 1-hour DWI-abnormal lesions.
- MAP2 and Nissl stains only partially depicted the infarction lesions.
- H&E staining is a reliable method for histopathological validation of early ischemic changes.
