Tamir K. Nassar

Luxol Fast Blue as a Selective Stain for Alpha Cells in the Human Pituitary

Human pituitaries fixed in Bouins fluid or 10% formalin were stained by the PAS, Masson trichrome and luxol fast blue methods. By comparing adjacent sections stained by these 3 methods it was found that the alpha cells which are PAS negative, but stained red by the Masson trichrome method, were intensely stained by luxol fast blue. The beta cells which are stained blue by the PAS and Masson methods were not stained by luxol fast blue. Similar observations were made on a series of pituitaries from 8 other mammalian species. It is concluded that luxol fast blue is a selective stain for alpha cells in the mammalian pituitary.

Luxol Fast Blue Combined With the Periodic Acid-Schiff Procedure for Cytological Staining of Kidney

Rat kidneys fixed in Regauds fluid were stained by luxol fast blue (LFB), by the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) method, and by LFB combined with PAS. When used separately the PAS stains the brush border, hyaline droplets and basement membranes reddish, the LFB stains the mitochondria, hyaline bodies and basement membranes greenish-blue. The combined LFB-PAS method stains the brush border reddish and the mitochondria dark blue, while the hyaline bodies and basement membranes are purplish colored. The LFB-PAS method provides color contrasts which show cytological features that are particularly significant in the kidney.

Concentric Layers in the Granules of Human Nervous Lipofuscin Demonstrated by Silver Impregnation

Representative pieces of human brain were fixed in 10% formalin, embedded in paraffin and sectioned at 5 μ. Paired sections were used, one of which was oxidized in equal parts of 0.5% potassium permanganate and 0.5% sulfuric acid for 1-2 min, while the other was left unoxidized. Both the oxidized and unoxidized sections were impregnated with silver diamine. The lipofuscin granules in the nerve cells appeared as small intensely stained black dots, surrounded by a clear unstained zone, in the unoxidized sections, while in the oxidized sections there was an outer ring of intensely blackened material surrounding a central unstained dot.

STAINING NEUROGLIA WITH SILVER DIAMMINO- HYDROXIDE AFTER SENSITIZING WITH SODIUM SULFITE AND EMBEDDING IN PARAFFIN'

Pieces of brain are fixed in formalin ammonium bromide for about 4 days at room temperature, and given the following treatment: After washing, dehydrating and clearing, embed in paraffin, section and mount. Deparaffinize sections and pass through graded alcohols to water. Sensitize in 5% sodium sulfite for 2 hours, wash in distilled water and impregnate with silver diamminohydroxide solution 2-5 minutes at room temperature. Reduce in 2% formalin, wash in distilled water and tone in gold chloride. Fix in 5% hypo, counterstain with 1% picric acid, dehydrate and cover in balsam. Equally good results are obtained by impregnating with Hortegas strong silver carbonate. The microglia, oligodendroglia, fibrous and protoplasmic astrocytes in the cat, rabbit, newborn and adult human are successfully stained by this method.

Staining Pineal Parenchyma by A Modified Hortega Method After Paraffin Embedding

Fresh pineal glands are fixed in 10% formalin at room temperature for about 3 days. After washing, dehydrating and clearing they are embedded in paraffin, sectioned and mounted. The tissues are placed in 10% silver nitrate for 24 hours, washed and impregnated in strong silver carbonate. The sections are reduced in 10% formalin, washed and toned in gold chloride, fixed in 5% hyposulfite, counterstained with erythrosin and mounted in Canada balsam. The processes of the pineal parenchymatous cells of the sheep, cow and man have been successfully stained by this method.