Autometallographic enhancement of the Golgi-Cox staining enables high resolution visualization of dendrites and spines

We present a method for autometallographic (AMG) enhancement of the Golgi-Cox staining enabling high resolution visualization of dendrites and spines. The method is cheaper and more flexible than conventional enhancement procedures performed with commercial photographic developers. The staining procedure is thoroughly described and we demonstrate with qualitative and quantitative data, how histological tissue sectioning, Golgi-Cox immersion time and different AMG enhancement length may influence the staining of dendrites and spines in the rat hippocampus. The described method will be of value for future behavioural-anatomical studies, examining changes in dendrite branching and spine density caused by brain diseases and their subsequent treatment.