Fig. 1

Stereological methods to evaluate the quantitative features of the superior cervical ganglion. a Position of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) between external (ECA), internal (ICA) carotid arteries, and carotid body (CB). b Representative photograph from Giemsa-stained SCG shows the large ganglionic cell bodies (G), with nucleus (N) and nucleolus (n), Nissl bodies (arrow) in the neuronal cytoplasm. Sheets from small, elongated, or oval nuclei satellite cells (S) enclose each neuronal cell body and a vessel (V). Neuropil (Np) is a complex of neuronal process and connective tissue between the cells. c An optical disector snapshot. Neurons in which their nuclei came into focus during the scanning of the disector’s height without touching the left and bottom borders of the frame were counted (arrow). d The Z-axis distribution of the neuronal or glial nuclei was plotted to define the height of the disector. There are 10 columns each representing the percent of the counted nuclei in 10% of the section thickness from the top to bottom sections