An enhancement method for immunohistochemical staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen in archival rodent tissues.
An enhanced immunohistochemical procedure to detect proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), an endogenous cell replication marker, has been successfully applied to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival rat and mouse tissues. The procedure involves microwave oven heating of tissue sections in a commercially available antigen retrieval solution of heavy metal salts. Successful immunohistochemical staining of PCNA can be consistently obtained in tissues fixed for over 24 months in formalin and in sections made from paraffin blocks stored in our tissue archives for up to 19 months. Use of this technique will allow retrospective staining of rodent tissues for identification of S phase cells as an indication of DNA replicative activity in previously conducted toxicity and carcinogenicity studies.
Greenwell
A
A
National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.
Foley
J F
JF
Maronpot
R R
RR
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000737:chemistry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D051381:Rats
D000941:Antigens; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D005557:Formaldehyde