Distribution of ruthenium red staining material in the cerebral cortex of rat

The ultrastructural distribution of ruthenium red staining material is studied in the cerebral cortex of rat. It is established that the material is located equally along the cell surface of the neurons, glial and endothelial cells, and within a number of cell organelles: mitochondria, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, synaptic vesicles and throughout both membranes of the nuclear envelope. Using digestion with hyaluronidase and trypsin, and lipid extraction an attempt is made to determine the participation of some chemical compounds such as acid mucopolysaccharides, glycoproteins, glycolipids and acid polypeptides in the composition of the ruthenium red-positive material. Moreover, the problem of the optimal conditions for the carrying out of ruthenium red staining in the CNS is discussed.