Fluorescence staining of gastric mucosa. A study with special reference to parietal cells

Compared with conventional light microscopy, fluorescence visualization of parietal cells was found to be of great advantage after staining with the acid dye Eosin or Azophloxine in combination with Hematoxylin or Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS). All these staining combinations gave a satisfactory result in the body area, whereas PAS-Eosin was superior in pyloric glands. Direct or indirect immunohistochemical method with human parietal cell antibody could also be used for distinct demonstration of parietal cells in paraffin-embedded rat and human gastric mucosa. Results of immunohistochemistry confirmed the reliability of parietal cell enumerations based on fluorescence staining with the acid dyes. Paired visualization of parietal cells and gastrin cells (G cells) in the same tissue section was achieved immunohistochemically. This methodological approach is a prerequisite for a detailed study of the morphological relationship of these two cell types in the transitional zone between the gastric body and the pyloric antrum.