Scanning electron microscopy of organotypic rat cerebellum cultures.

Glutaraldehyde fixation followed by critical point drying permitted preservation of critical surface detail of organotypic cerebellum cultures. Identifiable surface features included a nearly ubiquitous superficial membranous coating elaborated by cells. Neurite outgrowth, ependyma, choroid plexus and areas of degeneration (central necrosis) were visualized. Macrophages, blood vessels with associated cells, and a variety of neural cells were frequently visible. Occasional discontinuities in the surface covering permitted visualization of myelinated axons, other cell processes, and synapses. The accessibility of many structures to the scanning beam indicate that cultures will provide a useful method for delineating surface structure and relationships in otherwise undisturbed nervous system tissue.