Detection of apoptotic cells using immunohistochemistry

Immunohistochemistry is commonly used to show the presence of apoptotic cells in situ. In this protocol, B-cell lymphoma cells are injected into recipient mice and, on tumor formation, the mice are treated with the apoptosis inducer vorinostat (a histone deacetylase inhibitor). Tumor samples are fixed and sectioned, and fragmented DNA (a feature of apoptotic cells) is end-labeled by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Immunohistochemical methods are then used to detect the labeled DNA and identify B-cell lymphoma cells in the last stage of apoptosis. Because the assay can lead to false-positive results, it is advisable to carry out an additional assay (e.g., immunohistochemistry for active caspase-3) to confirm the presence of apoptotic cells.