Golgi-Cox Staining Protocol for Medium Spiny Neurons in the Striatum of Neonatal and Early Postnatal Mouse Brain Using Cryosections

Studying the morphological changes in dendrites and dendritic spines during the early postnatal period is essential for unraveling the development of neural circuits and synaptic connectivity. Structural alterations in the dendritic arborization and spine morphology of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) have been closely linked to various neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). While Golgi-Cox staining remains a powerful technique for visualizing individual neurons, existing protocols are predominantly optimized for adult rodent brains only. This has limited our insight into MSNs development during the early postnatal stages, largely due to difficulties in maintaining tissue integrity during processing and the absence of standardized methods specific to neonatal brains. In this study, we present a reliable, cost-effective, and easily reproducible Golgi-Cox staining protocol suitable for use in standard histology laboratories. This protocol is specifically adapted for neonatal and early postnatal mouse brain tissue but is also applicable to adult brains. It enables consistent and detailed analysis of dendritic and spine morphology across developmental time points and provides a valuable tool for investigating the disrupted neuronal maturation observed in the mouse models of NDDs.