Zihui An1  · Shuo Yan2  · Jiayi Wang1  · Hanqing Qiu1  · Binghua Xie1  · Shumei Feng3  · Mengsheng Qiu1  · Zhou Tan1

1 Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration, College of Life and Environment Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China 

2 PLA Naval Medical Center, Shanghai 200052, China 

3 Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830017, China

Abstract

Myelin is an essential structure that facilitates rapid saltatory conduction in the nervous system. Discrepancies in myelin microstructure are a hallmark of numerous neurological disorders, rendering the assessment of myelin integrity and content an indispensable tool in clinical diagnostics and neuroscience research. Extensive research has been dedicated to scrutinizing its biochemical makeup and morphology under normal, pathological, and experimental conditions over the years. In this review, we present an updated summary of the myelin sheath's structure, composition, and developmental trajectory. We systematically enumerate and contrast eight prevalent myelin staining techniques across dimensions of sensitivity, specificity, and resolution, delving into their underlying staining principles. With an initial application of myelin histology on the mouse demyelination model, our review accentuates the accurate delineation of myelination and the microstructural analysis of the myelin sheath. Such insights are anticipated to significantly contribute to the evaluation and understanding of white matter pathologies.

Keywords

Myelin; Corpus callosum; White matter; Spinal cord; Demyelination; Histology

[SpringerLink]