High-Speed Human Temporal Bone Sectioning for the Assessment of COVID-19-Associated Middle Ear Pathology
Summary
This article describes a technique for rapid human temporal bone sectioning that utilizes a microsaw with twin diamond blades to generate thin slices for rapid decalcification and analysis of temporal bone immunohistochemistry.
Abstract
Histopathologic analysis of human temporal bone sections is a fundamental technique for studying inner and middle ear pathology. Temporal bone sections are prepared by postmortem temporal bone harvest, fixation, decalcification, embedding, and staining. Due to the density of the temporal bone, decalcification is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process; complete tissue preparation may take 9-10 months on average. This slows otopathology research and hinders time-sensitive studies, such as those relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper describes a technique for the rapid preparation and decalcification of temporal bone sections to speed tissue processing.
Temporal bones were harvested postmortem using standard techniques and fixed in 10% formalin. A precision microsaw with twin diamond blades was used to cut each section into three thick sections. Thick temporal bone sections were then decalcified in decalcifying solution for 7-10 days before being embedded in paraffin, sectioned into thin (10 µm) sections using a cryotome, and mounted on uncharged slides. Tissue samples were then deparaffinized and rehydrated for antibody staining (ACE2, TMPRSS2, Furin) and imaged. This technique reduced the time from harvest to tissue analysis from 9-10 months to 10-14 days. High-speed temporal bone sectioning may increase the speed of otopathology research and reduce the resources necessary for tissue preparation, while also facilitating time-sensitive studies such as those related to COVID-19.
Introduction
Human temporal bone research provides an invaluable resource to study the pathology and pathophysiology of the inner and middle ear. Before the 19th century, little was known regarding otologic disease1,2,3. To better understand otologic disease and "rescue aural surgery from the hands of quacks," Joseph Toynbee (1815-1866) developed methods to study histologic sections of the human temporal bone3. This work was furthered by Adam Politzer (1835-1920) in Vienna and others across Europe during the remainder of the 19th century, who used temporal bone sections to describe the histopathology of many common conditions affecting the ear2,3,4.
The first human temporal bone laboratory in the United States was opened in 1927 at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where Stacy Guild (1890-1966) developed methods for temporal bone sectioning5,6. The methods developed by Guild consisted of a 9-10 month process that included postmortem harvest, fixation, decalcification in nitric acid, dehydration in ethanol, celloidin embedding, sectioning, staining, and mounting. Modifications to this technique were later made by Harold Schuknecht (1917-1996)7; however, the basic components of this process remain essentially unchanged.
The significant resources required to maintain a temporal bone laboratory have presented a challenge for temporal bone research and likely contributed to its declining popularity over the past 30 years4,8. A significant portion of temporal bone laboratory resources must be devoted to the 9-10 month process of temporal bone preparation. One of the most time-consuming steps in preparation is the decalcification of the temporal bone, which is the densest bone in the human body. Decalcification is typically performed in nitric acid or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and takes weeks to months while requiring the frequent changing of solutions7,9. Further, time-sensitive studies of the human ear, such as those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, may be hindered by this slow preparation process. This paper describes a technique for high-speed temporal bone sectioning that uses a diamond microsaw to generate thick sections that allow for rapid decalcification and tissue analysis within 10-14 days of temporal bone harvest.
Protocol
Representative Results
Discussion
Human temporal bone research is critical for studying inner and middle ear pathology but remains a time- and resource-intensive endeavor. This paper describes a technique that uses a diamond microsaw to generate thick temporal bone sections that can be rapidly decalcified before further sectioning so that the time from tissue harvest to study can be reduced from 9-10 months to 10-14 days. This technique may reduce the resources required for temporal bone processing and facilitate time-sensitive studies, such as those rel…
Disclosures
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Acknowledgements
We thank Mohamed Lehar for his assistance with this project. This work was partially supported by the National Institutes of Health (T32DC000027, NSA).
Materials
| Anti-ACE-2 Antibody (1:50 applied dilution) | Novus Biologicals | SN0754 | |
| Anti-Furin Antibody (1:250 dilution) | Abcam | EPR 14674 | |
| Anti-TMPRSS2 Antibody (1:1,000 dilution) | Novus Biologicals | NBP1-20984 | |
| BX43 Manual System Microscope | Olympus Life Science Solutions | ||
| CBN/Diamond Hybrid Wafering Blade | Pace Technologies | WB-007GP | |
| Collin Mallet – 8'' | Surgical Mart | SM1517 | |
| DS-Fi3 Microscope Camera | Nikon | ||
| Dual Endogenous Enzyme Block (commercial blocking solution) | Dako | S2003 | |
| Eaosin Stain | Sigma-Aldrich | 548-24-3 | |
| Formalin solution, neutral buffered 10% | Sigma-Aldrich | HT501128 | |
| Formical-4 Decalcifier (formic acid decalcifying solution) | StatLab | 1214-1 GAL | |
| Hematoxylin Stain | Sigma-Aldrich | H9627 | |
| HRP-Conjugated Anti-Rabbit Secondary Antibody (1:100 dilution) | Leica Biosystems | PV6119 | |
| ImmPRESS HRP Horse Anti-Goat igG Detection Kit, Peroxidase (1:100 dilution) | Vector Laboratories | MP-7405 | |
| Lambotte Osteotome | Surgical Mart | SM1553 | |
| Metallographic PICO 155P Precision Saw | Pace Technologies | PICO 155P | microsaw |
| NIS Elements Software Version 4.6 | Nikon | ||
| Paraplast Plus | Sigma-Aldrich | P3683 | paraffin |
| Positive Charged Microscope Slides with White Frosted End | Walter Products | 1140B15 | |
| Thermo Shandon Crytome FSE Cryostat Microtome | New Life Scientific Inc. | A78900104 | cryotome |
| Triology Pretreatment Solution (commercial pretreatment solution) | Sigma-Aldrich | 920P-05 | |
| Xylene | Sigma-Aldrich | 920P-05 |
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