ALDEHYDE-FUCHSIN STAINING APPLIED TO FROZEN SECTIONS FOR DEMONSTRATING PITUITARY AND PANCREATIC BETA CELLS

Abstract

Aldehyde-fuchsin staining was applied to fresh frozen sections to frozen sections pre-fixed with sucrose-formol, and to freeze-dried sections of human and animal pancreas and pituitary, with positive reactions in β-cells of both tissues. Successful adaptation of aldehyde-fuchsin staining to this material was achieved largely by choice of fixative, use of a fresh, nonchilled solution of aldehyde-fuchsin, and by acidified permanganate oxidation. Certain standard fixatives (formol, Zenker-formol, and Bouin) proved satisfactory, as well as a more recently introduced one, glutaraldehyde. A fixation-staining technique requiring less than 10 minutes was evolved using stock (25%) glutaraldehyde. With some of these fixatives, inserting an aldehyde blockade step when necessary, the Periodic and Schiff reaction could be employed as a control stain for aldehyde-fuchsin, with comparable results. The methods adopted are useful in identifying β-cells in surgical specimens and in material used for enzyme reactions and fluorescent antibody techniques.