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On the specificity of staining by Alcian blue in the study of human, foetal adenohypophysis

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Summary

The specificity of Alcian blue staining has been investigated on a material comprising the adenohypophysis from 26 human foetuses.

Two distinct types of alcianophilic cells were observed. The first cell type appears about 28 mm CRL forming small groups at the epithelial-mesenchymal junction and beneath the anlage of the fibrous capsule. Besides its alcianophilic property the cell shows a pronounced maltase-resistant PAS-positivity. The alcianophilia is due to carboxylgroups — probably of proteins as no sialic acid could be detected. By the performic acid — Alcian blue method the cell seems to show a high content of SH and S-S groups.

The second type of cell appears about 70 mm CRL and is mostly located singly. It shows a pronounced alcianophilia — probably due to sulphate groups and to some extent to carboxyl groups.

The role of the alcianophilic properties of the cells in typing definite cells of the foetal adenohypophysis was discussed. — Finally the pitfalls caused by different fixatives and by the use of the general polychrome staining methods for the typing of pituitary parenchymal cells were discussed.

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This work was supported by grants from the Association for the Aid of Crippled Children, New York, and from the Danish State Research Foundation, Copenhagen.

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Andersen, H., Møllgård, K. & von Bülow, F.A. On the specificity of staining by Alcian blue in the study of human, foetal adenohypophysis. Histochemie 22, 362–375 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00277463

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