Staining of Nervous Tissue by Protein-Silver Mixtures

Abstract

A staining method for nerves in paraffin sections is described in which an egg albumen-silver nitrate mixture is the impregnating solution. Blocks of tissue are fixed in Bouin's fixative, formol, Huber's fixative or formol-acetic-alcohol, and decalcified if necessary in Bensley's decalcifier. Sections are impregnated overnight, in the dark, at 37-56°C in a solution containing 50 ml of filtered, aqueous 0.5% dried egg albumen with 1.8-2.5 ml of 2% silver nitrate and adjusted to pH 8.2-8.3 by the addition of ammonia. The sections are then rinsed in distilled water and the silver reduced in a mixture of hydroquinone, 1 gm; anhydrous sodium sulfite, 10 gm and distilled water, 100 ml. The remainder of the process consists of washing, gold toning, fixing in 5% sodium thiosulfate, washing, dehydrating, clearing and mounting. Casein may be used as an alternative to egg albumen in the impregnating solution (0.5% casein, 50 ml; 2% silver nitrate, 1 ml). The pH value of the solution may be adjusted by a boric acid-borax buffer or ammonium hydrogen tetraborate in the place of ammonia.