title: Immunocytochemical double labeling of glial fibrillary acidic protein and transferrin permits the identification of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the rat brain.
abstract: Sequential immunocytochemical double labeling of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and transferrin (Tf) was used for the simultaneous identification of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in paraffin-embedded sections of the rat brain. Paraformaldehyde or formalin-alcohol-acetic acid fixation followed by protease treatment of paraffin-embedded sections provided the most satisfactory double-labeling. The results demonstrated GFAP-positive astrocytes and Tf-positive oligodendrocytes as two subpopulations of glia with no overlap. Our results suggest that, with some exceptions, immunocytochemical double labeling of GFAP and Tf has a potential application for the simultaneous identification of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the rat brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Landel
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lansing
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Vijayan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D014168:Transferrin