March 2014

 March 2014  Title: “Myelin is getting on my nerves"

This is a post-mortem image collated as part of a HRB-funded summer scholarship awarded to current 4th year Neuroscience BSc student Mr. Richard Magee. Richard undertook this research with Dr. Eric Downer in collaboration with Dr. Yvonne Nolan Department of  Anatomy and Neuroscience, UCC.

The image is a light microscopic image of part of the superior frontal gyrus, a region in the frontal lobe of the human brain, of an individual with Primary-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Luxol fast blue (LFB) stain has been used to demonstrate the intricate pattern of myelin observed under light microscopy. Using this stain myelin fibres appear blue. LFB has been used in combination with a common hematoxylin and eosin stain. Hematoxylin is a purple dye that stains nuclear material, while eosin is an orange to red dye that stains the cytoplasm. Myelin is a substance rich in lipids and proteins that insulates nerve fibres, allowing efficient transmission of nerve impulses. In MS, an abnormal immune reaction is believed to initiate an attack on the myelin, resulting in its destruction and the appearance of lesions (bare spots and scarred areas along the nerve) throughout the brain. This images shows a region of the human brain that is lesion free, and hence we can observe the extensive network of myelin.

Grant support from the Health Research Board (HRB) is acknowledged. Tissue samples were supplied by the Multiple Sclerosis Society Tissue Bank, funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, registered charity 207495.

“Myelin is getting on my nerves” image is on display in the Jennings Gallery until 27^th March 2014 as part of the “It’s a Beautiful World” Exhibition.