DIAMINE-THIOCARBOHYDRAZIDE-SILVER PROTEINATE-PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT METHODS FOR THE HISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF ACIDIC GLYCOCONJUGATES IN ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

A couple of new sensitive methods have been established for the histochemical detection of acidic glycoconjugates in electron microscopy. These are combined staining methods consisting of a high or low iron diamine preembedding and thiocarbohydrazide silver proteinate postembedding sequence (HID or LID-TCH-SP) followed by a physical development (PD) procedure. The HID or LID-TCH-SP-PD methods have been applied to a series of acidic glycoconjugate-containing ultrastructures from different organs of the rat and mouse such as the aorta, kidney, pancreas and spleen, in comparision with the HID or LID-TCH-SP techniques. The new methods are signigicantly more sensitive than the HID or LID-TCH-SP technique. Their specificity is sufficient.