Estimation of volume fractions in nervous tissue with an image analyzer

The calculation of volume fractions in nervous tissue is a method often used in neuroanatomy. In ontogenetic studies and problems concerning aging, as well as after experimental procedures, volume fractions are calculated in order to quantify the results. Grey level index (GLI) and grey cell coefficient (GCC) are different parameters correlated to the volume density of cellular elements in nervous tissue. The grey cell coefficient (GCC) is defined as the volume fraction of cellular elements in a griseum (grey matter area) and is estimated by a basic stereological method (point counting) from observations in two dimensions. The grey level index (GLI), measured with an automatic image analyzer, is the areal proportion of projected profiles of all stained elements within a volume given by the area of the measuring field and the thickness of section. GLI and GCC are compared in specimens obtained by a special histological procedure, and a method to estimate volume fractions by means of GLI-measurement is described.