ANTIRACHITIC VITAMIN 



19 



ARGENTAFFINE REACTION 



sections about 4 ju thick can be cut as a 

 routine. 



Antirachitic Vitamin, see Vitamin D3. 



Antiscorbutic Vitamin, see Vitamin C. 



Antimony Trichloride, see Carr-Price Re- 

 action. 



Aorta, see Arteries and, for an account of 

 technique for measuring elastic proper- 

 ties, Saxton, J. A., Arch. Path., 1942, 

 34, 262-274. 



Aortic Paraganglion (Glomus aorticum). 

 Technique for blood supply and innerva- 

 tion is provided by Nonidez, J. F., J. 

 Anat., 1936, 70, 215-224. Negative re- 

 sults in application of the chromaffin 

 reaction to the rabbit and guinea pig 

 are described by the same author. Am. 

 J. Anat., 1935, 57, 259-293. Carotid 

 glomus is very similar. 



V. Apathy Syrup has been modified by 

 Lillie, R. D. and Ashburn, L. L., 

 Arch. Path., 1943, 36, 432-435. Dis- 

 solve acacia (gum arable) 50 gm. and 

 cane sugar 50 gm. in aq. dest. 100 cc. 

 shaking frequently at 55-60°C. Add 

 aq. dest. to make up original volume 

 and merthiolate (sodium ethylmercuri- 

 theosalicylate) 15 gm., or thymol 100 

 gm. to act as a preservative. This 

 syrup is recommended as a mounting 

 medium for frozen sections stained 

 with Sudan III, or other alcohol soluble 

 dyes. 



Aposiderin, see Lillie, p. 127. 



Aquax — Written by C. C. Macklin, Dept. 

 of Histological Research, The Univer- 

 sity of Western Ontario, London, 

 Canada. November 28, 1951 — A water- 

 soluble wax for embedding purposes 

 produced by George T. Gurr, 136, New 

 King's Road, London, S.W. 6. It has 

 been found useful for the demonstra- 

 tion of osmiophil granules in pneumo- 

 pneumonocyies (which see) after levu- 

 lose mounting (See Levulose Syrup). 

 Its merit is the retention, in sections, 

 of materials which tend to diffuse away 

 in alcohol, clearing fluids and par- 

 affin. 



Aqueous Humor, see Anterior Chamber of 

 Eye. 



Arachnids, sectioning is facilitated by 

 methods intended to soften Chitin. 

 See also Fleas, Ticks. 



Archelline 2B, see Bordeaux Red. 



Argentaffine gastrointestinal cells (entero- 

 chromaffin cells). Rare even in duo- 

 denum. Occur singly, usually in deep- 

 est parts of crypts and may be free from 

 epithelium. Cytoplasmic argentaffine 

 granules are of small size, often closely 

 packed together and acidophilic. It is 

 said that they cannot be found in bodies 

 autopsied as late as 4-5 hrs. after death 

 (Hamperl, H., Ztschr. f. Mikr.-anat. 

 Forsch., 1925, 2, 506-535). 



Fluorescence Microscopy brings out 

 the argentaffine cells sharply because 

 the cytoplasmic granules fluoresce a 

 yellow color. This color is not abol- 

 ished by fat solvents and is attributed 

 to pterins (McClung, Microscopical 

 Technique, 1950, p. 682). See Eros, 

 G., Zentralbl. f. Allg. Path. Anat., 

 1932, 54, 385; Jacobson, W., J. Path. 

 &Bact., 1939,49, 1). 



Two specific methods are advised by 

 Jacobson, W., J. Path. & Bact., 1939, 

 49, 1-19. For both fix in 10% formol- 

 saline, or 10% neutral formol, dehydrate 

 in alcohol, clear in cedarwood oil or in 

 methyl benzoate -\- 2% celloidin and 

 imbed in paraffin. In the first wash 

 deparaffinized sections 10 mm. in 2 

 changes glass-dist. water. Transfer for 

 12-24 hrs. to Fon tana's sol. prepared by 

 adding NH4OH to 5% AgNO, until ppt. 

 is dissolved, then AgNOs drop by drop 

 until fluid exhibits slight presistent 

 opalescence. Wash in glass-dist. water, 

 1 min., 5% NajSjOs, 1 min. and tap 

 water 10 min. Counterstain with car- 

 malum. Dehydrate, clear and mount 

 in balsam. Granules of argentaffine 

 cells appear black. In the second more 

 rapid method dissolve small amount 

 p-nitro-methyloxybenzene diazotate in 

 aq. dest. producing light yellow solution 

 alkalinize with a little Li2C03. After 

 about I5 min., when pH 10-11 is reached, 

 color has changed to dark orange-yellow. 

 Immerse sections brought down to aq. 

 dest., in this 30-40 sec. Then wash in 

 aq. dest., 1 min. Granules of argen- 

 taffine cells appear dark red in yellow 

 background. Counterstain with hema- 

 lum if desired. 



Since Dawson, A. B., Anat. Rec, 



1944, 89, 287-294 has found that a larger 

 number of argentaffine cells are demons- 

 trable in the rat's stomach by Bodian's 

 technique than are reported after silver 

 impregnations like those of Masson- 

 Hamperl, it is important to try the 

 Bodian Method in the manner suggested 

 by Dawson. Sharpies, W., Anat. Rec, 



1945, 91, 237-243 used the Bodian 

 Method successfully in study of human 

 stomach. 



Argentaffine Reaction. This, according to 

 Lison (p. 147) is given by polyphenols, 

 aminophenols and polyamines in ortho 

 and para position. It is a reduction of 

 ammoniated silver hydroxide into me- 

 tallic silver. He recommends Masson's 

 method for sections : Fix in Bouin's fluid 

 or other fixative. Deparaffinize sec- 

 tions and wash 2 hrs. in aq. dest. Treat 

 for 3&-40 hrs. in Fontana's fluid in dark- 

 ness and in a sheltered place. Wash in 

 much aq. dest. Tone with 0.1% aq. 

 gold chloride (few minutes). Fix in 



