Supravital staining of murine brain with methylene blue according to the Cajal method: a simple and reliable preparation technique for embedding in paraffin.
Saturated methylene blue solutions or powder were applied with a brush to fresh, unfixed brain slabs. The specimens were then exposed to ambient oxygen in a moist chamber. Fixation was done by application of an ammonium heptamolybdate solution followed by a phosphate-buffered paraformaldehyde/glutaraldehyde mixture with phosphomolybdic acid added. The specimens were dehydrated in tert-butanol before embedding in paraffin. Because of its high specificity for perikarya and for varicose, unmyelinated nerve fibres, this technique is a helpful supplement to other histological methods, particularly to myelin staining techniques. It is therefore well-suited for routine use in neuroanatomical research.
Institute for Anatomy, University of Tübingen, F.R.G.
T
T
Müller
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D006652:Histological Techniques; D008751:Methylene Blue; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D010232:Paraffin
D010232:Paraffin; D008751:Methylene Blue