Preferential histochemical staining of protoplasmic and fibrous astrocytes in rat CNS with GFAP antibodies using different fixatives.
Serial sections of rat brain and spinal cord were fixed in either acid-alcohol or 4% paraformaldehyde, and stained for visualization of astrocytes using GFAP antibodies. With paraformaldehyde, GFAP-positive astrocytes were visualised almost exclusively in the grey matter of all above tissues. In sharp contrast, acid-alcohol treatment gave intensely stained GFAP-containing astrocytes in the white matter. Since fibrous astrocytes are mainly located in the white matter and protoplasmic astrocytes are located in the grey matter, it is concluded that acid-alcohol is a good fixative for fibrous astrocytes while paraformaldehyde is a better fixative for protoplasmic astrocytes.
Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, UMIST, Manchester, U.K.
S A
SA
Shehab
J R
JR
Cronly-Dillon
S N
SN
Nona
C A
CA
Stafford
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology*; D000431:Ethanol; D005557:Formaldehyde; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D006652:Histological Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011108:Polymers; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology*
D000906:Antibodies; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D011108:Polymers; D005557:Formaldehyde; D000431:Ethanol; C003043:paraform