The Destruction of Cytoplasmic Basophilia with Mineral Acids

Cytoplasmic basophilia may be selectively destroyed by the mineral acids, HNO₃, HCl and H₂SO₄. Their specificity is similar to that of ribonuclease. The optimal conditions for their use are 3°C. for 16 hours at 2M concentrations. Removal of cytoplasmic basophilia as with ribonuclease, malt diastase and perchloric acid is most effective on sections prepared from tissues fixed in solutions containing no chromates. Under the conditions herein reported the mineral acids appear to be a satisfactory and economical substitute for ribonuclease or perchloric acid.