STAINING, PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL 



Results with solution C {nuclear stain): 



Nuclei: bluish green. Cytoplasm: pale yellowish green. 

 Keratin: bright blue. Collagen: bright yellow. Muscle: pale 

 green. Dark mitotic figures and nucleoli are quite well in evidence. 

 After appropriate fixation, the secretion granules of the pancreatic 

 acinar cells are well demonstrated. Elastic and hyaline cartilage 

 are differentiated, the former staining green with the latter 

 remaining clear. 



Results with solution E {nuclear stain) : 



Nuclei: blue-black. Cytoplasm: deeper green than with solu- 

 tion C. In general the rest of the tissue-components are stained 

 much the same as when solution C is used. 



Notes: 



{a) Good results were obtained with sections from a variety of 

 organs from mice, monkeys and humans, using a number of fixa- 

 tives which included io% formalin, Bouin, Zenker, Susa- 

 Heidenhain and strong Flemming's solution. Although pontacyl 

 blue black SX is an acid dye, the authors found it to be an excel- 

 lent nuclear stain even when used as a simple i% aqueous solu- 

 tion, although it was found necessary to apply this solution to 

 sections for an hour. The addition of a suitable mordant (chrome 

 alum or potassium dichromate) was found to intensify the nuclear 

 staining and reduce the time to fifteen minutes. Pontacyl blue 

 black SX was used by Lillie (1945) as a stain for collagen. 



{b) It is the belief of the authors that there are not many 

 brilliant yellow stains among the known biological stains, and 

 state that the results obtained with luxol fast yellow TN give a 

 pleasing effect, which is so easy to achieve that it should become 

 a very useful counterstain. 



{c) See also pages 115 and 384. 



Reference: Wood, M. L. & Green, J. A. (1958). 



PONTACYL VIOLET - LUXOL FAST YELLOW TN 



A general stain for animal tissues 



Solutions required: 

 A. Pontacyl violet . . . . . . 2 gm. 



Tap water . . . . . . 100 ml. 



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