Term | Definition |
Stains for Glial Fibers | Holzer Method (preferred)
Mallory Phosphotungstic Acid Hematoxylin Stain |
stains for neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques | Thioflavin S
Bielschowsky-Pas |
Stains for Myelin Sheath | Weil Method
Luxol Fast Blue
Luxol Fast Blue-Cresyl Echt Violet
Luxol Fast Blue- Holmes Silver Nitrate
Luxol Fast Blue-PAS-Hematoxylin |
Stains for Nerve Fibers | Bodian and
Holmes |
Stains for Nissl Substances | Cresyl Echt Violet I
Cresyl Echt Violet II (acidic)
Thionin |
Thioflavin S | stains for neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques
fluorescent dye helps detect amyloid |
Thioflavin S | Alzheimer neurofibrillary tangles, senile plaques, neutrophil threads, senile plaque amyloid, cerebrovascular amyloid.... BRIGHT GREEN
diffuse plaques and extracellular tangles....PALER YELLOW GREEN
PSP tangles and pick bodies...NOT WELL DEMONSTRATED |
Thioflavin S | .25 potassium permanganate
potassium metabisulfate
sodium hydroxide-> peroxide->removes lipid autofluorescence
acetic acid-> water->50% alcohol
.0125% thioflavin S (agitate) |
Bielschowsky-PAS | Stain for nerve fibers, neurofibrillary tangles, and senile plaques
stain for diagnosing alzheimers |
Bielschowsky-PAS | neurofibrillary tangles, peripheral neuritis of neuritic plaques....DARK BLACK
axons......BLACK
amyloid (plaque cores and vascular)..... Magenta
Lipofuscin..... Magenta |
Bielschowsky-PAS | silver nitrate in dark
ammoniacal silver
ammonia water
add to ammoniacal silver developer ( formaldehyde, nitric acid, citric acid) and place slides in solution
ammonia water ->gold chloride-> ammonia water -> sodium thiosulfate
periodic acid
schiff |
Cresyl Echt Violet Method II | stain for Nissl sbstances
has acidic pH
restricts the staining to DNA and RNA containing structures |
Cresyl Echt Violet Method II | cresyl echt violet for 8 minutes
dehydrate and mount |
Cresyl Echt Violet Method I | Stain for Nissl substances
identification of neurons in tissue
used to show loss of nissl substances (chromatolysis) |
Cresyl Echt Violet Method I | cresyl echt violet
absolute alcohol
xylene--> balsam xylene
differentiate in absolute alcohol check microscopically
repeat until background is clear and nissl substances are well demonstrated |
Nissl Substances | trigoid substance/ chromidal substance
basophilic material in cytoplasm of neuron
large aggregates of rough endoplasmic reticulum
stained sharply with basophilic dyes |
Cajal Stain | for astrocytes |
Weil Method | for Myelin Sheath
Myelin Sheath...BLUE TO BLACK
background........LIGHT TAN |
Weil Method | staining solution (alcoholic hematoxylin, ferric ammonium sulfate)
differentiate in 4% ferric ammonium sulfate until white and gray matter can be distinguished
complete differentiation in sodium borate (control microscopically)
ammonia water |
Luxol Fast Blue Method | for Myelin Sheath
Myelin Sheath... BLUE TO BLUE-GREEN
background........COLORLESS |
Luxol Fast Blue Method | hydrate to 95% alcohol
luxal fast blue overnight
diff in lithium carbonate
cont. diff. in 70% alchol until can distinguish gray and white matter
finish diff in lithium carbonate until greenish-blue of white matter contrasts with colorless gray matter |
Luxol Fast Blue- Cresyl Echt Violet | stains myelin sheath and nissl substances
myelin...........................BLUE
nissl substances........VIOLET
nuclei........................VIOLET |
Luxol Fast Blue- Cresyl Echt Violet | overnight luxol fast blue
diff in lithium carbonate then alcohol until gray and white matter can be distinguished, then litium carbonate until sharp contrast
cresyl echt violet--> add acetic acid |
Luxol Fast Blue- Holmes Silver Nitrate | stain for Myelin Sheath and Nerve Fibers
Myelin Sheath....BLUE TO GREEN
axons and nerve fibers.....BLACK |
Luxol Fast Blue- Holmes Silver Nitrate | silver nitrate in dark
impregnate overnight (boric acid, borate, pyridine, silver nitrate)
reduce (hydroquinine and sodium sulfite)
gold chloride, develop in oxalic acid
sodium thio
luxol fast blue overnight -> lithium carbonate-> diff in 70 alcohol |
Luxol Fast Blue-PAS Hematoxylin | stains myeline sheath, basement membrane, senile plaques, fungi, corpora amylacea, nuclei |
Luxol Fast Blue-PAS Hematoxylin | myelin sheath.....BLUE TO BLUE GREEN
basement membrane, senile plaques, fungi, and corpora amylacea.......ROSE
nuclei.......PURPLE |
Holzer Method | preferred method for glial fibers
glial fibers....BLUE
background.....COLORLESS |
Holzer Method for glial fibers | phosphomolybdic acid-alcohol,
absolute alcohol chloroform (tissue will be translucent),
crystal violet,
potassium bromide--> airdry,
differentiate (aniline oil, chloroform, ammonium hydroxide) |
Mallory Phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin stain | stain for glial fibers
ratio phosphotungstic acid to hematein 20:1
glial fibers.... BLUE
nuclei............BLUE
neurons........SALMON
myelin...........BLUE |
Mallory Phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin stain | mordant zenkers with acetic acid overnight,
lugol iodine,
decolorize in 95 alcohol,
potassium permanganate,
decolorize oxalic acid,
stain with PTAH overnight |
Holmes Silver Nitrate | stains for Nerve Fibers and Neurofibrils
argyrophilic -requires chemical reduction
axons and nerve fibers.....BLACK
Neurofibrils.......................BLACK |
Holmes Silver Nitrate | silver nitrate
impregnate (boric acid, borax, distilled water, silver nitrate, pyridine)
reduce (hydroquinone & sodium sulfate)
gold chloride
develop oxalic acid
sodium thiosulfate, optional counterstain |
Bodian Metod | Stains for nerve fibers, nerve endings, and neurofibrils
nerve fibers...........BLACK
Nuclei....................BLACK
Background...........LIGHT BLUE |
Wallerian degeneration | bodian method stains for this
axon distal to injury disappears with myelin sheath |