Simultaneous Differential Staining of Cartilage and Bone in Rodent Fetuses: an Alcian Blue and Alizarin Red S Procedure without Glacial Acetic Acid

Differential staining of cartilage and bone has several applications including developmental toxicology studies of new chemical candidates for pharmaceutical, industrial, and environmental use. It has been more common to stain fetal bone only using the dye alizarin red S: however, failure to evaluate the cartilaginous portion of the skeleton may result in the failure to identify toxicologically important alterations in skeletal morphology. Previously, differential staining of fetal cartilage and bone was best achieved by combining alizarin red S for staining bone with alcian blue to stain cartilage in glacial acetic acid solution: however, occupational hazards posed by the use of glacial acetic acid make these methods undesirable. Replacement of the glacial acetic acid with potassium hydrogen phthalate eliminates these hazards without compromising the quality of the stained specimen.     

A Simple Method Using Alizarin Red S For the Detection of Calcium in Epoxy Resin Embedded Tissue

This report presents a simple procedure for staining 1-2 μm epoxy plastic sections of cells and mineralizing matrix present in fetal bovine bone tissue cultures. A 0.3% aqueous toluidine blue 0 solution was used as a cellular stain and was followed with 2% alizarin red S for the detection of calcium at sites of mineralition. Effects of concentration and pH of alizarin red S on the penetration of epon embedded thick sections were investigated Optimal staining was achieved with a 2% aqueous alizarin red S solution adjusted to a pH of 5.5-6.5. This staining procedure provides unusually clear contrast between mineral and bone cells in plastic sections for light microscopy.     

Detection of Mineralized Structures in Early Stages of Development of Marine Teleostei Using a Modified Alcian Blue-Alizarin Red Double Staining Technique for Bone and Cartilage

We have developed a procedure for staining cartilage and bone in fish larvae as small as 2 mm (notochord length), for which standard alcian blue/alizarin red procedures did not give positive and/or consistent results. Small calcified structures only 100-200 ixm in length can be clearly visualized. The method is suitable for both onto-genic studies during early stages of skeletal development in most marine fishes (e.g., Sporus aurata L., Solea senegalensis Kaup), whose larvae at hatching are often only a few millimeters long and for detecting skeletal abnormalities in small larvae. This procedure can also be used for specimens that have been preserved in 100% ethanol for up to two years.     

运用PCR 扩增技术检测解脲脲支原体生物群的临床应用

目的:探讨运用酶链聚合反应(PCR)技术检测泌尿生殖道解脲脲原体(Uu)的生物群,分析Uu生物群与临床症状的相关性。方法:以支原体16S rRNA保守区域基因为扩增靶序列设计引物,采用PCR方法扩增Uu 16S rRNA基因检测125例临床标本,并将检测结果与临床症状进行相关性分析。结果:PCR法检出Uu阳性率44.8%,其中35例Uu生物1群阳性,其中有16例有症状;27例Uu生物2群阳性,其中有18例有症状。Uu生物1群感染与症状的相关性无统计学差异(P>0.05),而Uu生物2群感染与症状相关性有统计学差异(P<0.05)。结论:PCR检测Uu 16S rRNA基因可用于Uu生物群的检测,Uu生物2群可能是非淋菌性尿道炎(NGU)的一个致病菌,而Uu生物1群与NGU无明显相关性。