Immunocytochemical evidence for antibody binding to mast cell granules

Antibodies that label paraffin-embedded mouse tissues: a collaborative endeavor

Histology and immunohistochemistry are important tools in the study of human diseases and their respective animal models. The study of mouse models has been hampered by the absence of a large set of mouse-specific antibodies adapted to paraffin-embedded tissues. A total of 196 antibodies were tested on paraffin-embedded mouse tissues preserved in five different fixatives (Fekete's acid-alcohol-formalin, 10% neutral buffered formalin, 4% paraformaldehyde, IHC Zinc Fixative, and Bouin's fixative). The antibodies were targeted to proteins of the cytoplasm (n = 100), plasma membrane (n = 48), nucleus (n = 36), extracellular compartment (n = 5), cytoplasm/cell membrane (n = 4), and viral proteins (n = 3). A total of 83 antibodies provided an adequate signal to noise ratio. Of these, adequate labeling required heat-mediated epitope retrieval or enzymatic digestion for 32 and 8 antibodies, respectively. Epitope recognition was best for tissues fixed with Fekete's acid-alcohol-formalin. However, some proteins could be detected only in IHC Zinc Fixative, confirming that there is no single fixative suitable for the preservation of all epitopes. Four of 13 antibodies that failed to label their cellular targets on tissue sections successfully labeled whole-mount tissues, indicating that tissue processing plays an important role in epitope degradation. Regularly updated information on immunohistochemistry of normal and neoplastic mouse tissues is accessible online at (http://tumor.informatics.jax.org); links to antibody suppliers' web sites are provided.

Mast cells in the neonate musk shrew brain: implications for neuroendocrine immune interactions

In allergic and inflammatory conditions, mast cells respond to and affect both the nervous and endocrine systems. Yet, their function in healthy brain tissue is poorly understood. We report here the occurrence of mast cells concentrated in the lateral posterior, laterodorsal and dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei of the thalamus, in the lateral and medial habenula and in overlying pial layers in the brains of neonate musk shrews. Mast cells are very abundant on the day of birth and decline with age. From postnatal day 0 to 9, mast cells are most abundant in the thalamus. The mast cell population declines rapidly in the thalamus after day 9. By postnatal day 15 equivalent numbers of mast cells are seen in the thalamus, lateral and medial habenula. Interestingly, mast cells are in close association with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-containing fibers in the neonate brain suggesting an association between the neuroendocrine and immune systems in the developing musk shrew brain.

The immunocytochemical preservation of IgE and mast cells of the rat

The localisation of IgE to mast cells of rats infested with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis has been studied in an attempt to find a fixation procedure which will best preserve (a) the antigenicity of IgE for immunocytochemical demonstration, and (b) the histochemical staining properties of mast cells. A fixative comprising Carnoy's fluid and picric acid (CPA) best fulfilled these criteria, allowing localisation of IgE to both the plasma membrane and cytoplasm of mucosal mast cells of rat small intestine, but only to the plasma membrane of connective tissue mast cells of rat tongue. Formaldehyde-containing fixatives prevented labelling of IgE in the cytoplasm of mucosal mast cells.