A new method is described which permits staining of the histamine in mast cells of embedded tissue. Small specimens of fresh tissue, rapidly frozen in isopentane-liquid nitrogen, are dried in vacuo at –35°C, embedded in paraffin, sectioned and stained with o-phthalaldehyde in ethyl benzene. Mast cell histamine appears bright yellow as viewed under fluorescence microscopy. The procedure is standardized, suitable for a wide variety of tissues and remarkably free of diffusion artifacts. The uncut blocks may be stored for months with no changes in later histamine-staining potential. Alternatively, embedding may be done in polyethylene glycols with satisfactory results.
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Shelley et al. (1968) studied this question.
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