Staining for Acetylcholinesterase in Brain Sections
Adapted from Discovering Neurons: The Experimental Basis of Neuroscience (ed. Paul et al.). CSHL Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA, 1997.INTRODUCTION
The stain described here is a relatively simple method to determine the distribution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in brain sections. In addition, the intensity of the stain is an indication of the quantity of the enzyme present. It has been suggested that the distribution of AChE should correspond to the distribution of acetylcholine; however, it has been shown that this not always true. In this protocol, free-floating sections are incubated in an acetylthiocholine and copper-buffered solution at 40ºC until the hippocampus shows signs of staining (turning white). The stain is then developed with a silver solution so that the stained areas appear brown.
