title: An improved histochemical technique for differentiating adrenaline- and noradrenaline-containing cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sevki's histochemical technique allows specific staining of catecholamine-containing cells, yet discrimination between adrenaline-(ADR-) cells and noradrenaline-(NOR-) cells is unreliable, being based on hue differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this work, histochemical differentiation of ADR- and NOR-cells in rat adrenal medulla was carried out by introducing two modifications to Sevki's technique: 1) employment of aged Giemsa solution, and 2) addition of an alkaline differentiating step.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With these changes, ADR-cells stained brown, whereas NOR-cells were deep-green, resulting in a clear-cut differentiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The modified technique permits to differentiate ADR- from NOR-cells in the adrenal medulla using only a bright field microscope without any sophisticated equipment. The present procedure is inexpensive and easy to carry out.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológícas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, D.F.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ortíz-Butron
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Piñón-López
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Juárez-Santiago
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Racotta
mesh_terms: D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000032:analysis*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine