Histochemical applications of x-ray microanalysis: the simultaneous assessment of mitosis and cell death

The principles of x-ray microanalytical histochemistry are reviewed. The use of labelling and precipitation techniques are examined, and particular attention is paid to the localization of enzymatic activity. A new method is described for the simultaneous assessment of mitosis as represented by the incorporation of (3H) thymidine, and cell death as represented by the localization of free acid phosphatase, in the same tissue section. The thymidine incorporation is demonstrated by the appearance of topographically and microanalytically detectable silver grains in an overlying emulsion and the cell lysis associated acid phosphatase activity is detected optically and microanalytically by means of a bromine-rich azo dye deposited as a result of coupling naphthol AS BI, enzymatically released from naphthyl AS BI phosphoric acid, with diazotized 2,5-dibromoaniline.