title: Critical analysis of the use of the acrolein-Schiff method as a possible DNA reaction.
abstract: Histophotometric examination was carried out on nuclei of lymphocytes in human peripheral blood, which were subjected to various tests in order to assess the acrolein-Schiff method as a possible DNA specific reaction, in comparison with the traditional Feulgen reaction. Special attention was paid to the degree of difference between responses attributable to a direct Schiff reaction obtained in the fraction of nuclear proteins after treatment with acrolein. From the results obtained it appears that an acrolein-Schiff reaction, following extraction of proteins, may be considered a qualitative reaction for DNA. Our findings also show that there is no relationship between the degree of response to the acrolein-Schiff reaction and that the Feulgen reaction, which is to be expected in view of the different mechanisms of the two reactions.
mesh_terms: D000171:Acrolein; D000447:Aldehydes; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D003720:Densitometry / Q000379:methods; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D012545:Schiff Bases
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D012545:Schiff Bases; D000171:Acrolein; D004247:DNA