Figure 3. Quantification of motor neuron number in the ventral horn of cervical, thoracic and lumbar cord sections using an Optical Fractionator probe in the StereoInvestigator software.
A. Area of interest was traced at x4 magnification. B. The counting frame size used was 75×75 (mm) and the counting frame area was (XY)= 5625 mm2. C. Cell counting was done with a x60 N.A 1.4 oil objective. Neurons were counted only if their diameter was 15 mm or larger and only if the neuron nucleolus was inside the counting frame and the neuron was not touching the excluding borders.