Micro-computed tomography with iodine staining resolves the arrangement of muscle fibres

We illustrate here microCT images in which contrast between muscle and connective tissue has been achieved by means of staining with iodine. Enhancement is shown to be dependent on the concentration of iodine solution (I₂KI), time in solution and specimen size. Histological examination confirms that the arrangement of individual muscle fibres can be visualised on the enhanced microCT images, and that the iodine accumulates in the muscle fibres in preference to the surrounding connective tissues. We explore the application of this technique to describe the fibrous structure of skeletal muscle, and conclude that it has the potential to become a non-destructive and cost-effective method for investigating muscle fascicle architecture, particularly in comparative morphological studies.     

A guide for optimal iodine staining and high‐throughput diceCT scanning in snakes

Diffusible iodine‐based contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) visualizes soft tissue from micro‐CT (µCT) scans of specimens to uncover internal features and natural history information without incurring physical damage via dissection. Unlike hard‐tissue imaging, taxonomic sampling within diceCT datasets is currently limited. To initiate best practices for diceCT in a nonmodel group, we outline a guide for staining and high‐throughput µCT scanning in snakes. We scanned the entire body and one region of interest (i.e., head) for 23 specimens representing 23 species from the clades Aniliidae, Dipsadinae, Colubrinae, Elapidae, Lamprophiidae, and Viperidae. We generated 82 scans that include 1.25% Lugol''s iodine stained (soft tissue) and unstained (skeletal) data for each specimen. We found that duration of optimal staining time increased linearly with body size; head radius was the best indicator. Postreconstruction of scans, optimal staining was evident by evenly distributed grayscale values and clear differentiation among soft‐tissue anatomy. Under and over stained specimens produced poor contrast among soft tissues, which was often exacerbated by user bias during “digital dissections” (i.e., segmentation). Regardless, all scans produced usable data from which we assessed a range of downstream analytical applications within ecology and evolution (e.g., predator‐prey interactions, life history, and morphological evolution). Ethanol destaining reversed the known effects of iodine on the exterior appearance of physical specimens, but required substantially more time than reported for other destaining methods. We discuss the feasibility of implementing diceCT techniques for a new user, including approximate financial and temporal commitments, required facilities, and potential effects of staining on specimens. We present the first high‐throughput workflow for full‐body skeletal and diceCT scanning in snakes, which can be generalized to any elongate vertebrates, and increases publicly available diceCT scans for reptiles by an order of magnitude.     

盐酸酸化可改善核抗原免疫荧光染色

免疫荧光染色(immunofluorescent staining, IF)技术广泛用于细胞或组织内抗原定性、定量或定位检测。然而,依常规染色步骤操作,在有些胞核抗原的检测中很难得到令人满意的结果。有研究者采用盐酸酸化预处理用于细胞增殖标记物5-溴-2-脱氧尿嘧啶核苷(BrdU)的荧光染色并获得良好效果。但此方法是否也适用于其他类型的胞核抗原,尚不清楚。为系统全面分析盐酸酸化在胞核抗原免疫荧光染色中的作用,本文以成年C57BL小鼠主要嗅觉表皮(MOE)为材料,分别对Ki-67、5-甲基胞嘧啶(5mC)和5-羟甲基胞嘧啶(5hmC)三种不同类型的胞核抗原进行盐酸酸化处理免疫荧光染色。结果显示,当血清封闭和抗体浓度等条件一致时,室温下盐酸酸化2 h,Ki-67的染色效果最佳,而阴性对照与未酸化组均未出现阳性信号;同样经过盐酸处理2 h,5mC和5hmC染色也呈现较强的阳性信号。该研究表明,在一些胞核抗原免疫荧光染色中,使用盐酸酸化处理可显著提高染色效果。     

Synthetic Orcein as an Elastic Tissue Stain

A study was made of various synthetic orceins in an effort to determine the optimal conditions for their use in staining elastic tissue. A simple technic has been developed, based on a modification of the method originally worked out by Taenzer. Orcein is used as a 0.4% solution in 70% alcohol containing 1% HC1. Sections are counterstained with Mallory's borax methylene blue. The solutions are easily prepared and may be used for several months. Although several methods require staining in orcein from 2 to 24 hours, the present method requires staining for only 30 minutes. After several types of fixation some of the dye samples stained collagenous tissue to varying degrees, but this could be diminished by slightly reducing the strength of the staining solution. Differential staining of elastic tissue was particularly specific in tissues fixed in acetone, collagen in these preparations remaining practically unstained by any of the dye samples.     

Alteration in tissue and serum concentrations of TSH, iodide, T4 and T3 induced by various dietary iodide levels.

Isotopic equilibrium and radioimmunoassay methods were used to evaluate the effects of increases in iodide intake on tissue and serum concentrations of thyroid hormones. Within the range of iodide levels used total iodine in peripheral tissues and serum increase directly with iodide intake but this change is mainly due to an increase in inorganic iodide. It is concluded that increases in tissue thyroid hormone concentrations occur within a relatively narrow range of iodide intake and maximal concentration occurs at an iodide intake of 3-10 mug/day.     

Characterization of anti-TIMP-1 monoclonal antibodies for immunohistochemical localization in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue.

The aim of this study was to evaluate seven anti-TIMP-1 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1) monoclonal antibodies by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue. Detection of the TIMP-1 protein was studied by IHC in FFPE human archival normal and neoplastic samples. Indirect IHC technique was used, and the seven antibodies (clones VT1, VT2, VT4, VT5, VT6, VT7, and VT8) were tested in various concentrations using different pretreatment protocols. All seven VT antibodies specifically immunostained the cytoplasm of islets of Langerhans cells in normal pancreas, epithelial cells of hyperplastic prostate, tumor cells of medullary thyroid carcinoma, and fibroblast-like cells of malignant melanoma. Specificity of the anti-TIMP-1 antibodies was confirmed by several controls, e.g., Western blotting on proteins extracted from FFPE tissue showed that the VT7 antibody reacted specifically with a protein band of approximately 28 kDa, corresponding to the molecular mass of TIMP-1. However, sensitivity varied with the different antibodies. Use of heat-induced epitope retrieval (HIER) and the VT7 clone applied at low concentrations demonstrated more intense immunoreactivity with the TIMP-1-positive cell types compared to the other six clones. Furthermore, when tested on a range of normal and neoplastic endocrine tissues, the VT7 clone demonstrated immunoreactivity with all neuroendocrine cell types. In conclusion, all seven antibodies detected TIMP-1 protein in various normal and neoplastic FFPE tissues, but one clone, VT7, was superior for IHC staining of TIMP-1 in FFPE tissue sections when using HIER.     

From Genes to Ecosystems: The Genetic Basis of Condensed Tannins and Their Role in Nutrient Regulation in a Populus Model System

Research that connects ecosystem processes to genetic mechanisms has recently gained significant ground, yet actual studies that span the levels of organization from genes to ecosystems are extraordinarily rare. Utilizing foundation species from the genus Populus, in which the role of condensed tannins (CT) has been investigated aboveground, belowground, and in adjacent streams, we examine the diverse mechanisms for the expression of CT and the ecological consequences of CT for forests and streams. The wealth of data from this genus highlights the importance of form and function of CT in large-scale and long-term ecosystem processes and demonstrates the following four patterns: (1) plant-specific concentration of CT varies as much as fourfold among species and individual genotypes; (2) large within-plant variation in CT occurs due to ontogenetic stages (that is, juvenile and mature), tissue types (that is, leaves versus twigs) and phenotypic plasticity in response to the environment; (3) CT have little consistent effect on plant–herbivore interactions, excepting organisms utilizing woody tissues (that is, fungal endophytes and beaver), however; (4) CT in plants consistently slow rates of leaf litter decomposition (aquatic and terrestrial), alter the composition of heterotrophic soil communities (and some aquatic communities) and reduce nutrient availability in terrestrial ecosystems. Taken together, these data suggest that CT may play an underappreciated adaptive role in regulating nutrient dynamics in ecosystems. These results also demonstrate that a holistic perspective from genes-to-ecosystems is a powerful approach for elucidating complex ecological interactions and their evolutionary implications. All authors made significant contributions of data, research or writing to the study described in this review.     

A comparative analytical assessment of iodides in healthy and pathological human thyroids based on IC-PAD method preceded by microwave digestion

The aim of the study was to examine correlations between the content of iodides in 66 nodular goiters and 100 healthy human thyroid tissues (50- frozen and 50 formalin-fixed). A fast, accurate and precise ion chromatography method on IonPac AS11 chromatographic column (Dionex, USA) with a pulsed amperometric detection (IC-PAD) followed by alkaline digestion with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) in a closed system and with the assistance of microwaves was developed and used for the comparative analysis of two types of human thyroid samples. Statistical analysis revealed over eightfold reduction of iodine concentration in the pathological tissues (the mean value was 77.13±14.02 ppm) in comparison with the control group (622.62±187.11 ppm for frozen samples and 601.49±192.11 ppm for formalin-fixed ones). A good correspondence (for 10 additional determinations) between the certified (3.38±0.02 ppm with variation coefficient (V.C.) of 0.59% for Standard Reference Material (SRM) NIST 1549-non-fat milk powder) and the measured iodine concentrations (3.52±0.29 ppm; V.C.=10%) was achieved. It was pointed out that the way of tissue preservation (either in formalin or by freezing) had no significant effect on the iodine determination result (α=0.1). Significantly lower iodide content was found in nodular goiter thyroid samples. The applied conditions of digestion, reinforced by the action of microwaves, brought about a decidedly shorter (less than 20 min) sample preparation time. Suitability of the developed IC method was supported by validation results.     

DETERMINATION OF IODINE CONCENTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION IN RAT THYROID FOLLICLES BY ELECTRON-PROBE MICROANALYSIS

The concentration and the distribution of iodine in various sized follicles of rat thyroid glands have been analyzed by electron-probe microanalysis. The results of the iodine analysis were grouped according to uncorrected lumen diameter size. No significant differences in iodine concentration were observed among the various size categories. When the results for all follicles from a given sample were pooled, the standard error of the mean was approximately 4%. Usually 40–50 follicles per animal were analyzed. The concentration of iodine ranged from 0.9 to 2.1% by weight among individual animals. Scanning pictures and step-scan analysis showed the iodine distribution to be quite uniform across the colloid area. Several techniques of sample preparation were used; they produced no significant differences in the iodine concentrations observed. Sodium concentration, also determined in all samples, was found to vary from 2 to 9% by weight. Because of the mobility of the sodium ion, its distribution was greatly affected by the method of sample preparation. The technique that best preserved the natural chemistry of the sample was that of freezing the tissue, sectioning, and then freeze-drying.     

Improved Coomassie Blue Dye-Based Fast Staining Protocol for Proteins Separated by SDS-PAGE

The time required to visualize proteins using Coomassie Blue dye has been significantly reduced with the introduction of fast staining protocols based on staining with a Coomassie Blue dye solution at boiling temperatures. However, fast stainings suffer from high gel backgrounds, reducing the signal-to-noise ratio and limiting the number of detectable spots in the case of 2D SDS-PAGE. The aim of this work was to eliminate the high gel background, and thus improve fast staining protocols based on Coomassie Blue dye. We show that merely replacing water with a 4 mM EDTA washing solution at boiling temperatures, results in a transparent gel background within 50 to 60 minutes of destaining. Moreover, when a combination of imidazole-zinc reverse staining and Coomassie Blue-based fast staining is used the sensitivity is improved significantly; nanogram amounts of proteins can be detected using 1D SDS-PAGE, and about 30% to 60% more spots can be detected with 2D SDS-PAGE in plasma, platelet, and rat brain tissue samples. This work represents an optimized fast staining protocol with improved sensitivity, requiring between 60 to 75 minutes to complete protein visualization.     

Availability of iodide and iodate to spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) in relation to total iodine in soil solution

A greenhouse pot experiment was carried out to investigate the availability of iodide and iodate to soil-grown spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) in relation to total iodine concentration in soil solution. Four iodine concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 2 mg kg⁻¹) for iodide (I⁻) and iodate (IO₃⁻) were used. Results showed that the biomass productions of spinach were not significantly affected by the addition of iodate and iodide to the soil, and that iodine concentrations in spinach plants on the basis of fresh weights increased with increasing addition of iodine. Iodine concentrations in tissues were much greater for plants grown with iodate than with iodide. In contrast to the iodide treatments, in iodate treatment leaves accounted for a larger fraction of the total plant iodine. The soil-to-leaf transfer factors (TF_leaf) for plants grown with iodate were about tenfold higher than those grown with iodide. Iodine concentrations in soil solution increased with increasing iodine additions to the soil irrespective of iodine species. However, total iodine in soil solution was generally higher for iodate treatments than iodide both in pots with and without spinach. According to these results, iodate can be considered as potential iodine fertilizer to increase iodine content in vegetables.     

Cytochemical identification of turbot myeloperoxidase-positive granulocytes by potassium iodide and oxidized pyronine Y staining

Cytomorphological and cytochemical staining are important methods for the identification of cell types, in particular in fish which often lack biological tools such as specific antibodies. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is usually used as an intracellular marker of neutrophil accumulation in tissues and a marker of neutrophil activity in plasma. In this study, we reported a potassium iodide and oxidized pyronine Y (KI-PyY) staining method for rapid and highly sensitive detection of MPO-positive cells in turbot blood, peritoneum, and tissues. MPO-positive cells, which mostly represented neutrophils, were stained brown and clearly distinguished from other cells, such as lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages, which were stained pink. Following bacterial stimulation, the proportions of neutrophils were 27.49% and 38.05% in peripheral blood leukocytes and peritoneum, respectively, judging by the stained MPO. Kidney granulocytes contained abundant MPO-positive cells which were probably immature neutrophils with low expression of MPO. It is noteworthy that MPO-positive cells were detected in the tissue sections of kidney, spleen, and gut, with distribution profiles specific to each tissue. However, the cell morphology was not distinct in the stained tissue sections. These results indicate that the KI-PyY staining method is highly sensitive, applicable to different types of samples, and will be useful for the study of neutrophils in different compartments of fish.     

Cryoprotectant equilibration in tissues

The first step in the cryopreservation of cells or tissues is often the movement of a permeating cryoprotectant into the cells or tissues from the solution into which they have been placed. The cryoprotectant enters the cells or tissues by thermodynamic equilibration with the surroundings. In the reverse case, thermodynamic equilibration also drives the removal of permeating cryoprotectants by a dilution solution at the end of the preservation process when the cells or tissues are being readied for use. There have been reports of tissues having equilibrium cryoprotectant concentrations lower than that of the surrounding carrier solution. For various tissues, the equilibrium concentration of cryoprotectant inside the tissue is either equal to, or lower than the cryoprotectant concentration of the surrounding solution. A simple thermodynamic treatment of the solution-tissue equilibrium shows that an equilibrium concentration difference can exist between a tissue and the surrounding solution if a pressure difference can be maintained.     

Concentration Dependent and Adverse Effects in Immunohistochemistry using the Tyramine Amplification Technique

Although the tyramine amplification technique to enhance sensitivity in immunohistochemistry has been described in numerous methodological papers, it has not yet gained access to diagnostic immunohistochemistry. This is mainly due to problems and pitfalls occurring in adaptation of this method to routine application.In this study a monoclonal antibody and a polyclonal antiserum (pan-cytokeratin and anti-myoglobin) were tested in tissues with different amounts of epitopes, using a checkerboard table and testing a total of 133 different dilution combinations of both the tyramide solution and the primary antibodies.The specific tissue investigated, i.e. the amount of accessable epitope to be detected and the applied concentration of the tyramide solution mainly influenced the staining reaction. Several pitfalls such as an uneven distribution of the staining or dramatic overstaining (paradoxical overstaining) must be considered to achieve optimal results.In conclusion, our data confirm methodological studies that the tyramine amplification technique is a powerful method to enhance immunohistochemical sensitivity. However, for reliable daily practice several pitfalls of the technique have to be circumvented.     

Review: history of the amyloid fibril

Rudolph Virchow, in 1854, introduced and popularized the term amyloid to denote a macroscopic tissue abnormality that exhibited a positive iodine staining reaction. Subsequent light microscopic studies with polarizing optics demonstrated the inherent birefringence of amyloid deposits, a property that increased intensely after staining with Congo red dye. In 1959, electron microscopic examination of ultrathin sections of amyloidotic tissues revealed the presence of fibrils, indeterminate in length and, invariably, 80 to 100 A in width. Using the criteria of Congophilia and fibrillar morphology, 20 or more biochemically distinct forms of amyloid have been identified throughout the animal kingdom; each is specifically associated with a unique clinical syndrome. Fibrils, also 80 to 100 A in width, have been isolated from tissue homogenates using differential sedimentation or solubility. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the fibrils to be ordered in the beta pleated sheet conformation, with the direction of the polypeptide backbone perpendicular to the fibril axis (cross beta structure). Because of the similar dimensions and tinctorial properties of the fibrils extracted from amyloid-laden tissues and amyloid fibrils in tissue sections, they have been assumed to be identical. However, the spatial relationship of proteoglycans and amyloid P component (AP), common to all forms of amyloid, to the putative protein only fibrils in tissues, has been unclear. Recently, it has been suggested that, in situ, amyloid fibrils are composed of proteoglycans and AP as well as amyloid proteins and thus resemble connective tissue microfibrils. Chemical and physical definition of the fibrils in tissues will be needed to relate the in vitro properties of amyloid protein fibrils to the pathogenesis of amyloid fibril formation in vivo.     

Preparation and stability of sixteen murine tissues and organs for flow cytometric cell cycle analysis

Three different technical protocols were used to prepare samples for flow cytometric (FCM) analysis. Each protocol developed worked best for only certain organs. Protocol I involved mincing small pieces of fresh tissue in the propidium iodide (PI) staining solution and filtering through packed glass wool. The organs that were prepared by protocol I were: submandibular gland, urinary bladder, liver, thymus, bone marrow, spleen, lung, kidney and testis. Protocol II involved exposure of the organ to 0.5% acetic acid for 48 h prior to mincing in the PI. The organs that were prepared by protocol II were: uterus, rectum, colon, ileum, and heart. Protocol III utilized an exposure to 0.5% acetic acid, pepsinization, and then staining with PI. The tissues that were prepared by protocol III were the epithelium of the anterior surface of the cornea and the epithelium of the surface of the tongue. A total of 16 different organs and tissues were successfully prepared. For each organ, averaged DNA histograms were analyzed by nonparametric and parametric programs and the results (phase fractions) are presented in tabular form. Several of the organs used came from animals exposed to 1.0 mg/kg vincristine (VC) for 5-6 h to test the capability of the different protocols to detect the enlargement of the G2 + M compartment by the accumulation of VC-arrested mitotic figures. The stability of the many different sample preparations was tested by comparing averaged DNA histograms obtained on the day of sample preparation to averaged DNA histograms of the same set of samples after storage at 4 degrees C, with or without fixation in 10% phosphate-buffered formalin, for days to weeks. After staining with propidium iodide, fixation of the sample with a final concentration of 2-3% phosphate-buffered formalin, was the procedure adopted to assure sample stability. The demonstration of sample stability permits sample preparation to occur at one site followed by transport of the samples to the FCM laboratory at another geographical location. The major findings of this work were a) technical protocols were developed which resulted in acceptable nuclear suspensions for FCM from 16 different murine organs or tissues, b) the stability of these samples can be assured by fixing the PI stained nuclear suspension with formalin, and c) each different protocol was capable of detecting and preserving at least some of the mitotic figures arrested and collected by vincristine.     

Size and CT density of iodine-containing ethosomal vesicles obtained by membrane extrusion: Potential for use as CT contrast agents

Computed tomography (CT) is the primary non-invasive imaging technique used for most patients with suspected liver disease. In order to improve liver-specific imaging properties and prevent toxic effects in patients with compromised renal function, we investigated the encapsulation of iodine within ethosomal vesicles. As a first step in the development of novel contrast agents using ethosomes for CT imaging applications, iodine was entrapped within ethosomes and iodine-containing ethosomes of the desired size were obtained by extrusion using a polycarbonate membrane with a defined pore size. Ethosomes containing iodine showed a relatively high CT density, which decreased when they were extruded, due to the rupture and re-formation of the lipid bilayer of the ethosome. However, when a solution with a high iodine concentration was used as a dispersion media during the extrusion process, the decrease in CT density could be prevented. In addition, ethosomes containing iodine were taken up efficiently by macrophages, which are abundant in the liver, and these ethosomes exhibited no cellular toxicity. These results demonstrate that iodine could be entrapped within ethosomal vesicles, giving the ethosomes a relatively high CT density, and that the extrusion technique used in this study could conveniently and reproducibly produce ethosomal vesicles with a desired size. Therefore, ethosomes containing iodine, as prepared in this study, have potential as contrast agents with applications in CT imaging.     

New Insights into the in situ Microscopic Visualization and Quantification of Inorganic Polyphosphate Stores by 4’,6-Diamidino-2-Phenylindole (DAPI)-Staining

Inorganic polyphosphate (PolyP) is a biological polymer that plays important roles in the cell physiology of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Among the available methods for PolyP localization and quantification, a 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole(DAPI)-based assay has been used for visualization of PolyP-rich organelles. Due to differences in DAPI permeability to different compartments and/or PolyP retention after fixation, a general protocol for DAPI-PolyP staining has not yet been established. Here, we tested different protocols for DAPI-PolyP detection in a range of samples with different levels of DAPI permeability, including subcellular fractions, free-living cells and cryosections of fixed tissues. Subcellular fractions of PolyP-rich organelles yielded DAPI-PolyP fluorescence, although those with a complex external layer usually required longer incubation times, previous aldehyde fixation and/or detergent permeabilization. DAPI-PolyP was also detected in cryosections of OCT-embedded tissues analyzed by multiphoton microscopy. In addition, a semi-quantitative fluorimetric analysis of DAPI-stained fractions showed PolyP mobilization in a similar fashion to what has been demonstrated with the use of enzyme-based quantitative protocols. Taken together, our results support the use of DAPI for both PolyP visualization and quantification, although specific steps are suggested as a general guideline for DAPI-PolyP staining in biological samples with different degrees of DAPI and PolyP permeability.Key words: DAPI, polyphosphate, fluorescence, fluorimetry