Abstract
The editors Parker and Picut are joined by an illustrations editor and 13 other contributors, all from WIL Research, to round out their comprehensive, full-color Atlas of Histology of the Juvenile Rat. This book meets and exceeds its primary goal of providing a complete histologic guide to the development of the Sprague-Dawley rat through postnatal day 42 and, in so doing, responds to the pathologist’s old saw, “I’d need to see an age-matched control.”
This affordable, 448-page text is accurately indexed and contemporarily referenced and includes more than 700 photomicrographs. Physical properties of the hardcover book include an ample page weight of 60-pound text with kid finish and flat print. An electronic version of the book is available online with downloadable text (PDF) and figures. The book’s introduction defines developmental stages in the postnatal life of the rat and their human correlates. It also lays out basic materials and methods for this descriptive exercise, further details of which can be found in companion publications from the same group (eg, Parker et al 1 ). System-based chapters progress chronologically through postnatal maturation. The few pages of text that begin each chapter are presented in 2 vertically arranged columns of prose with infrequent tables.
Each of the 14 chapters begins with brief background information on embryology, developmental biology, and histology that is sufficiently detailed as to be accessible to the nonpathologist yet not feeling remedial for the veterinary pathologist. It is important that, as a histologic atlas, the vast majority of its pages consist of high-resolution photomicrographs with occasional, nonobtrusive labels and informative captions highlighting salient features of each. Figure coloration and illumination are largely consistent and of high quality throughout the text, and special histochemical (eg, Masson’s trichrome, Luxol fast blue) or immunohistochemical (eg, CD3, Ki67) images are included to demonstrate organ-specific features where relevant. Two photos share a whole page throughout the book, conferring readability and a tidy aesthetic. Although each figure has a numerical identifier, the figures are not referenced in the text. Examples from male and female animals are provided, and sexual dimorphisms or background findings are discussed where pertinent. Different orientations (eg, sagittal and coronal brain sections) are occasionally presented.
In summary, this is an excellent reference to aid the pathologist in both proficiently recognizing distinguishing features of the juvenile rat compared to the adult and identifying possible developmental disturbances. This text will be useful to anyone interpreting pathology endpoints in studies using juvenile rats, whether in industrial or academic research.