The suitability of commercial and pure
aluminum-
hematein for quantitative
DNA image cytometry was investigated. Cervical smears,
breast cancer aspiration biopsies, and rabbit liver tissue imprints were stained with Mayer's and Harris' al-
hematein with variable staining times and
dye concentrations. Pure and commercial
hematoxylin was used.
Nucleic acids were removed by
enzyme digestion or by HCl-hydrolysis. A standard
Feulgen stain served as control.
DNA-
polyacrylamide films were used as staining models. Absorption was measured using a VIDAS image analyzer.
DNA in liver cell nuclei was not stained in a stoichiometric
dye-
DNA ratio. Sequential staining of cervical smears with
hematein followed by the Feulgen reaction gave a covariance between 0.77 and 0.88 for IOD. Photometric errors due to unspecific
RNA or
protein staining were remarkable. Harris' and Mayer's
hematein gave comparable results. Pure
hematein gave slightly better results than commercial batches.
DNA staining in model films was not quantitative with
hematein. Al-
hematein should therefore not be used for quantitative
DNA cytometry.