Analysis of some histochemical colour reactions for cytospectrophotometry of basic and acidic proteins in nervous tissue cells.

Cytospectrophotometric analysis of model systems and of single cells in Carnoy-fixed paraffin sections of the nervous tissue has shown two histochemical colour reactions for basic proteins and two reactions for acidic proteins to obey Bouger-Lambert-Beer's law. Basic proteins can be stoichiometrically stained either with Fast Green FCF, pH 8.2, or with heparin-Alcian Blue; acidic proteins either with Fast Green, FCF, pH 2.6, or with Toluidine Blue o. basing on better reproducibility of cytochemical results and sufficiently good preservation of cell structure, heparine-Alcian Blue is recommended for cytospectrophotometric determinations of basic proteins. To stain acidic proteins both Fast Green, pH 2.6, and Toluidine Blue O are recommended, each of the dyes being characterized by its own advantages and disadvantages.