[Histonet] golgi

[John Kiernan]

In the literature of neuroanatomy, the rapid Golgi
method is a distinct technique, different from the
original Golgi method and also different from other
variants, which have informal names like Golgi-Cox
and Golgi-Sholl. All these techniques blacken a small
proportion the cells in a block or slice of CNS, but
they have different emphases. 

The choice of a Golgi method is determined by the 
requirements of the investigation. For example, the 
Cox, Sholl and related methods are preferred for 
quantitative studies of dendrites. These techniques 
do not use silver nitrate and they have little in 
common with the techniques invented by Camillo Golgi.

The traditional rapid Golgi method, which uses
osmium tetroxide as well as the silver nitrate and 
potassium dichromate of the original method, has
been used to impregnate occasional whole 
interneurons (including the axon and its terminal 
branches), especially in the fetal CNS, where 
most of the axons are not yet myelinated. I think 
it's still true to declare that no Golgi variant
will reliably deposit black material in myelinated
axons.

Your email asks about a commercial rapid Golgi 
staining kit. Does the company's "rapid" relate to
traditional rapid Golgi methods, or is it selling
something quite different?  None of the Golgi
techniques are rapid when compared with ordinary
staining techniques. They all take weeks, and rapid
means 2 weeeks rather than 6.  It's important for 
you to know that a 2-week classical rapid Golgi 
method will not provide the same kind of stained 
sections as as traditional Golgi or a Golgi-Cox. 

A company selling a kit for Golgi staining must 
provide a full explanation of which chemicals are
used and why. The company should also tell you
how its product relates to the various traditional
Golgi techniques. All the Golgi variants are 
technically easy and they use chemicals available in
any lab that does neuro-anything. Production of
good Golgi preparations (any variant) involves  
plenty of disappointment. The randomness of the 
chromate precipitation causes all sorts of strongly
positive artifacts.  Golgi preparations require
educated interpretation. 

Do not trust anyone. Do the tests yourself before
maqking recommendations.
-- 
-------------------------
John A. Kiernan
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
The University of Western Ontario
London,   Canada   N6A 5C1
   kiernan <@t> uwo.ca
   http://publish.uwo.ca/~jkiernan/
_______________________________________-

LuAnn Anderson wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> Has anyone out there in histo-land had experience with the Rapid GolgiStain
> Kit from FD NeuroTechnologies? We are looking into it......but any info
> would be appreciated. I have checked the archives, but nothing turned up.
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> LuAnn Anderson HT(ASCP)
> Division of Neuropathology
> University of Minnesota
> 
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