SELECTIVE STAINING OF NERVOUS TISSUE FOR LIGHT MICROSCOPY FOLLOWING PREPARATION FOR ELECTRON MICROSCOPY’

The suitability and selectivity of several dyes have been tested on plastic-embedded sections of nervous tissue (0.5-1 L) prepared for electron microscopy. Methods for plastic extraction and selective staining are described which provide satisfactory differentiation of principle cytologic features with good contrast and clarity of detail. The introduction of a hematoxylin “lake ” has achieved the differential staining of oligodendroglia and astrocytes in cerebral cortex. The argyrophiia of cells and cell structure following 10-20 % silver nitrate or silver nitrate in combination with ammoniacal silver permits identification of axon terminals. The enhanced quality of preservation of central nervous system tissue which results from the application of improved methods of aldehyde perfusion (25, 26, 30) has stimulated interest in the histologic examination of tissues prepared for electron microscopic study. Many investigators have attempted to stain plastic sections (o