尼氏体 (Nissl body)或称尼氏小体是分布于神经细胞胞质内的三角形或椭圆形小块状物质,能被碱性染料如硫堇、亚甲蓝、甲苯胺蓝和焦油紫等染料染成紫蓝色。各种神经细胞内都含有尼氏体,但其形状、数量、分布位置常常不同,尼氏体也存在于树突中,但不在于轴突和胞体的轴丘;尼氏体会因为生理状态的变化而变化,是神经元内合成蛋白质的重要部位,当神经元受到刺激后,胞体内的尼氏体会明显减少。
尼氏染色液 (硫堇法)采用进口硫堇 (Thionin acetate)作为核心染料,可用于石蜡组织切片的尼氏物质、神经元等的染色,尼氏体的存在和消失是神经细胞是否受损的重要指标,当发生脑炎、脑缺血、轴突反应等情况时,尼氏体会发生溶解甚至消失。尼氏染色液(硫堇法)主要优点是操作简便、染色稳定、适用范围广。该试剂仅用于科研领域,不适用于临床诊断或其他用途。
自备材料:
1、系列乙醇、蒸馏水、Carnoy固定液或10%中性福尔马林溶液、环保脱蜡液、中性树胶、环保透明液、OCT包埋剂、梯度蔗糖溶液
2、恒温箱、酒精灯、显微镜
操作步骤(仅供参考):
1、对于石蜡切片:新鲜组织固定于乙醇、Carnoy固定液或10%中性福尔马林溶液后,常规脱水包埋。切片厚6-8µm,常规二甲苯或环保脱蜡液脱蜡至水,蒸馏水冲洗。
2、对于冰冻切片:新鲜组织固定于中性福尔马林溶液后,梯度蔗糖4℃脱水24-72h至组织沉底后,OCT包埋,切片厚度建议10-15µm,冰冻切片浸于蒸馏水中复温3min。
3、将尼氏染色液 (硫堇法)提前放入50-60℃温箱中,至有蒸汽时将切片浸入其中中,染色30~60min。蒸馏水稍洗去除多余染液。
4、95%乙醇迅速分化至背景接近无色 (如果分化失败,可重复步骤3)。
5、无水乙醇脱水,二甲苯或环保透明液透明,中性树胶封固。
染色结果:
尼氏小体:紫蓝色-深蓝色
细胞核:浅蓝色
背景:无色或浅蓝色
注意事项:
1、尼氏体离体后容易溶解,所以组织取出后应立即固定,否则难以着色。
2、组织固定起着非常重要的作用,固定可采用乙醇、Carnoy固定液或中性福尔马林溶液。
3、该染色液对石蜡组织切片的尼氏染色效果较好。
4、95%乙醇分化应迅速进行,肉眼观察至切片清晰,背景呈淡蓝色或无色为适宜。
5、染色后的标本务必避光保存,否则容易褪色。
6、为了您的安全和健康,请穿实验服并戴一次性手套操作。
7、试剂开封后请尽快使用,以防影响后续实验效果。
Nissl bodies, also known as Nissl granules, are triangular or oval small masses distributed in the cytoplasm of nerve cells. They can be stained purple-blue by basic dyes such as thionine, methylene blue, toluidine blue, and cresyl violet. All types of nerve cells contain Nissl bodies, but their shape, quantity, and distribution location often vary. Nissl bodies are also present in dendrites, but not in axons or the axon hillock of the cell body. Nissl bodies change with the physiological state of the neuron and serve as an important site for protein synthesis within the neuron. When a neuron is stimulated, the number of Nissl bodies in the cell body decreases significantly.
The Nissl Staining Solution (Thionine Method) uses imported thionine acetate as the core dye. It can be used for staining Nissl substances, neurons, and other structures in paraffin tissue sections. The presence or disappearance of Nissl bodies is a key indicator of whether nerve cells are damaged. In cases such as encephalitis, cerebral ischemia, and axonal reaction, Nissl bodies may undergo dissolution or even disappear. The main advantages of the Nissl Staining Solution (Thionine Method) include simple operation, stable staining results, and a wide range of applications. This reagent is for research use only and not intended for clinical diagnosis or other purposes.
Self-Prepared Materials
1. series of ethanol solutions, distilled water, Carnoy's fixative or 10% neutral formalin solution, environment-friendly dewaxing solution, neutral balsam, environment-friendly clearing solution, OCT embedding medium, and gradient sucrose solutions
2. Constant temperature incubator, alcohol lamp, and microscope
Operating Steps (for reference only)
1. For paraffin sections: Fix fresh tissues in ethanol, Carnoy's fixative, or 10% neutral formalin solution, followed by conventional dehydration and embedding. Cut sections to a thickness of 6-8 μm, then perform conventional dewaxing with xylene or environment-friendly dewaxing solution until the sections are water-wettable. Rinse with distilled water.
2. For frozen sections: Fix fresh tissues in neutral formalin solution, then dehydrate them in gradient sucrose solutions at 4°C for 24-72 hours until the tissues sink to the bottom.
Embed the tissues in OCT medium and cut into sections with a recommended thickness of 10-15 μm. Immerse the frozen sections in distilled water to rewarm for 3 minutes.
3. Preheat the Nissl Staining Solution (Thionine Method) in an incubator at 50-60°C. When steam appears, immerse the sections in the staining solution and stain for 30-60 minutes. Rinse briefly with distilled water to remove excess staining solution.
4. Rapidly differentiate the sections with 95% ethanol until the background is nearly colorless. If differentiation fails, repeat Step 3.
5. Dehydrate the sections with absolute ethanol, clear them with xylene or environment-friendly clearing solution, and mount them with neutral balsam.
Staining Results
Nissl bodies: Purple-blue to dark blue
Cell nuclei: Light blue
Background: Colorless or light blue
Precautions
1. Nissl bodies are prone to dissolution after the tissue is removed from the body. Therefore, the tissue must be fixed immediately after collection; otherwise, effective staining will be difficult.
2. Tissue fixation plays a crucial role. Ethanol, Carnoy's fixative, or neutral formalin solution can be used for fixation.
3. This staining solution yields better results for Nissl staining of paraffin tissue sections.
4. Differentiation with 95% ethanol should be performed quickly. Observe the sections with the naked eye: the optimal differentiation effect is achieved when the sections are clear and the background is light blue or colorless.
5. Stained specimens must be stored away from light; otherwise, they may fade easily.
6. For your safety and health, wear a lab coat and disposable gloves during operation.
7. Use the reagent as soon as possible after opening to avoid affecting the results of subsequent experiments.