Hydrochloric acid-sodium thiosulphate-Schiff reagent and its cytochemical properties

Cytochemical properties of modified Schiff reagent, prepared with 5 ml of N HCl and 1.0 g of sodium thiosulphate, the latter replacing potassium metabisulphite, have been presented in this communication. It has been seen that such a modified Schiff reagent has a slightly elevated pH as compared with that of the conventional Schiff reagent. It has also been found that this modified Schiff reagent has a much longer shelf-life and that the staining intensity produced by this dye-reagent is more than those of the usual Schiff reagent prepared with N HCl and potassium metabisulphite (potassium pyrosulphite, K2S2O5). Possible mechanism as to why the staining intensity of the nuclei is more with this modified Schiff reagent as well as the reason as to why its shelf-life is increased compared with those of the conventional Schiff reagent have been discussed.