Mast cells are not conspicuous items in sections of kidneys.
In rats and mice mast cell granules are preserved by ordinary formaldehyde
fixatives and also by non-aqueous liquids such as Carnoy and alcoholic Bouin.
The granules contain heparin, which can be stained by any cationic dye at low
pH. Alcian blue at pH 1.0 does this well. Blue cationic dyes with smaller
molecules (thionine, azures, toluidine blue etc) stain heparin
metachromatically (red), which is often more conspicuous than the turquoise
colour of alcian blue. Technical details can be found in any histological
techniques book published since the introduction of alcian blue (1950). Older
books have instructions for metachromatic staining of mast cells, which was
described in1878: Ehrlich P. Contributions to the Theory and Practice of
Histological Staining. (Translated from Beiträge zür Theorie und Praxis der
histologischen Färbung. University of Leipzig, 1878 (Thesis). In The Collected
Papers of Paul Ehrlich, ed. F. Himmelweit M. Marquandt. Vol 1, pp. 65-98.
London New York: Pergamon Press (1956).
John Kiernan
Anatomy, UWO
London, Canada
= = =
- Original Message -
From: Kim O'Sullivan kim.osulli...@med.monash.edu.au
Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009 23:02
Subject: [Histonet] Mast cell staining HELP!
To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Hi,
Can anyone out there recommend the best way to stain mouse mast
cells in the kidney(toluidine blue/or berberine sulfate) with a
protocol that produces cconsistent results?
Secondly, I have mouse kidney sections fixed in FFPE, PLP and
methyl Carnoys. Does anyone know of a company that supplies
antibodies which will work on any of these fixatives,for
the staining of the IgE receptor, mast cell trytptase and chymase.
Any advice would be appreciated!
Kim O'Sullivan
Monash University
Melbourne
Australia
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