Affordable optical clearing and immunolabelling in mouse brain slices.

Traditional histological analysis is conducted on thin tissue sections, limiting the data capture from large tissue volumes to 2D profiles, and requiring stereological methods for 3D assessment. Recent advances in microscopical and tissue clearing methods have facilitated 3D reconstructions of tissue structure. However, staining of large tissue blocks remains a challenge, often requiring specialised and expensive equipment to clear and immunolabel tissue.

Cognitive impairments in a Down syndrome model with abnormal hippocampal and prefrontal dynamics and cytoarchitecture.

The Dp(10)2Yey mouse carries a ∼2.3-Mb intra-chromosomal duplication of mouse chromosome 10 (Mmu10) that has homology to human chromosome 21, making it an essential model for aspects of Down syndrome (DS, trisomy 21). In this study, we investigated neuronal dysfunction in the Dp(10)2Yey mouse and report spatial memory impairment and anxiety-like behavior alongside altered neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HPC).