Staining procedures for the endocrine cells of the upper gastrointestinal mucosa: Light electron microscopic correlation for the gastrin producing cell

Abstract

After testing three different polychrome staining methods, the authors concluded that a slightly modified Herlant's tetrachrome in tissues fixed in Zenker formol is the procedure of choice. This method allows the distinction of several different cell types in the upper gastrointestinal mucosa of man and dog and permits the easy identification of the gastrin producing cells on a routine basis. This identification was confirmed in two patients with gastrin cell hyperplasia, seen by both light and electron microscopy. Herlant's tetrachrome proved valuable in the screening of human as well as experimental gastrointestinal tissues and it was found to be very suitable for recognizing gastrin producing cell hyperplasias.