Summary
The industrial dye Solophenyl Red 3 BL (Ciba-Geigy) dissolved in a saturated aquaeous solution of picric acid has proved suitable for differentiating between collagen types I and III in histological sections. When examined under polarization microscopy, type I fibers are radiant orange while type III fibers are green. Using 5 μm paraffin sections, an optimal staining procedure was determined: sections were first stained with Resorcin Fuchsin for elastic fibers and with Celestin Blue/Mayer's Hematoxylin for nuclear structures. The staining was then completed with 0.1 g Solophenyl Red/100 ml saturated aquaeous solution of picric acid for 60 min at a pH value of 1.25. It was shown that the dye stained collagen selectively. With the aid of a photomultiplier, the spectral distribution of a series of lung sections adequately stained according to the optimized procedure was carried out using a monochromator and an interference filter, respectively. Both methods yielded identical peaks at 590 nm for the orange colored light of collagen type I and 490 nm for the green light of collagen type III. Application of appropriate filters permitted the intensity of the orange and green light at 590 nm and 490 nm to be measured. Long postmortem intervals did not affect the measured values. Quantitative inferences on the ratio of collagen I to collagen III could then be deduced from the ratio of the intensity of orange to green light. This index I/III is often applied in the diagnosis of discrete fibrotic changes in various organs.
Zusammenfassung
Der Textilfarbstoff Solophenyl Rot 3 BL (Ciba-Geigy) in gesättigter wäßriger Pikrinsäurelösung ist zur histologischen Unterscheidung von Kollagen I und III geeignet. Im polarisierten Licht leuchten die Kollagen-I-Fasern orange und die Kollagen-III-Fasern grün. An 5 μ dicken Paraffinschnitten der Lunge hat sich folgende optimale Färbemethode bewährt: zuerst färben mit Resorcin-Fuchsin zur Darstellung der elastischen Fasern, dann mit Celestin Blau/Mayer's Hämalaun zur Kerndarstellung. Anschließend 0.1 g Solophenyl Rot/100 ml gesättigter wäßriger Pinkrinsäurelösung, Färbezeit 60 min, pH-Wert 1,25. Der Farbstoff färbt Kollagen selektiv. Mit einem Monochromator und einem Interferenzverlauffilter wurde unter Anwendung eines Photomultipliers die Spektralverteilung der Polarisationsfarben ermittelt. Mit beiden Verfahren fanden sich Peaks bei 590 nm für die orange polarisierenden Kollagen-Typ-I- und bei 490 nm für die grün polarisierenden Typ-III-Fasern. Durch Filter läßt sich die Intensität des orangen bzw. grünen Lichts messen. Fäulnisvorgänge beeinflussen die Meßwerte nicht. Aus dem Verhältnis der Lichtintensitäten ergibt sich das Mengenverhältnis von Kollagen I zu III. Dieses Verhältnis ist ein Index, der für die Beurteilung vor allem von diskreten fibrosierenden Vorgängen in verschiedenen Organen verwendet wird.
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Ogbuihi, S., Müller, Z. & Zink, P. Zur quantitativen polarisationsmikroskopischen Darstellung von Kollagen Typ I und Typ III an histologischen Paraffinschnitten. Z Rechtsmed 100, 101–111 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00200750
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00200750