A Staining Method for the Anterior Hypophysis of the Rat

A staining procedure for the anterior hypophysis of the rat, differentiating between eosinophilic granules, basophilic granules and mitochondria, has been divised. Small pieces of hypophyseal tissue are fixed in Champy's fluid. Following fixation the tissue is either chromated or osmicated. After being embedded in 60-62° paraffin, the tissue is cut serially at 2 and 3 μ. The sections are stained with 7% Altmann's acid fuchsin by heating on a laboratory hot plate, followed by 30 seconds in a 2% solution of Orange G made up in 1% phosphomolybdic acid. They are then treated for 10 seconds in a .01% solution of potassium carbonate, and stained for 10-30 minutes in Goodpasture's acid polychrome methylene blue. The mitochondria stain brilliant fuchsia, the eosinophilic granules orange-red, and the basophilic granules deep blue.