Summary
With Baker's acid haematein test certain ganglion cells in the brain, their processes and, at some sites, glial cells around blood vessels stain dark blue. This article describes a study of the Baker-positive cells which occur in and around the neurosecretory nuclei. By substituting formol-calcium fixation with glutaraldehyde-formol-calcium fixation shrinkage in brain tissue is completely avoided. If such fixation is used the argument that positive staining of ganglion cells with Baker's method only indicates that these are “shrunken neurons” can no longer be maintained. A comparative histological study, especially of Baker's technique and “controlled chromation” (Elftman) showed that the Baker-positive cells contain a phospholipid, probably bound to a protein, as a labile compound, which is easily lost. We found that to immobilize and localize this labile compound in the ganglion cells the technique of fixation and the pH during chromation (which should be around 3.8) are of fundamental importance. Only under these conditions is the complex sufficiently immobilized to allow of its demonstration with acid haematein. These requirements are now completely met if Baker's acid haematein technique is used. The article stresses that only prefixed and chromated frozen sections can be used for this method, thus avoiding shrinkage and non-specific staining of proteins. The modified Baker method as used by us gives constant and reproducible staining and is described in this article. The functional significance of the Baker-positive reaction in some ganglion cells in the n. s. nuclei or glial cells around blood vessels is not dealt with in this article.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature
Baker, J. R.: The histochemical recognition of lipine. Quart. J. micr. Sci. 87, 441–470 (1946).
—: Fixation in cytochemistry and electronmicroscopy. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 6, 303–308 (1958).
Brodal, A., and R. G. Harrison: Observations on the chemical composition of myelin and the smaller size of myelinated nerve-fibres in the central nervous system. Quart. J. micr. Sci. 89, 89–102 (1948).
Cain, A. J.: An examination of Baker's acid haematein test for phospholipines. Quart. J. micr. Sci. 88, 467–478 (1947).
Duyn, P. van: Acrolein-Schiff, a new staining method for proteins. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 9, 234–241 (1961).
Elftman, H.: Controlled chromation. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 2, 1–8 (1954).
—: Effects of fixation in lipoid histochemistry. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 6, 317–321 (1958).
Hori, S. H.: A simplified acid hematein test for phospholipids. Stain Technol. 38, 221–225 (1963).
Idelman, S.: Conservation des lipides par les techniques utilisées en microscopie électronique. Histochemie 5, 18–23 (1965).
Kroon, D. B.: Certain cells in the hypothalamic neurosecretory nuclei which are stainable by the acid-haematein test for phospholipids according to Baker. Z. Zellforsch. 61, 317–337 (1963).
Lange, W.: Über einen färberisch darstellbaren Dimorphismus der Purkinje Zellen bei der Maus. Acta histochem. (Jena) 23, 31–39 (1966).
Roozemond, R. C.: Thin layer Chromatographic study of lipid extraction from cryostat sections of rat hypothalamus by some fixatives. J. Histochem. Cytochem 15, 526–529 (1967).
Singh, R.: Some histochemical reactions for lipids in avian nervous tissue. I. Central nervous tissues. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 12, 812–820 (1964).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kroon, D.B., Goossens, E.M.L.D. The demonstration of phospholipids in certain cells in neurosecretory nuclei in the rat with Baker's acid haematein after fixation in glutaraldehyde-formol-calcium. Z. Zellforsch. 83, 527–537 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319322
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319322