THE VALUE OF SOME TETRAZOLIUM SALTS AS HISTOCHEMICAL REAGENTS FOR SULPHYDRYL GROUPS

G. H. FINDLAY ¹

¹ From the Section of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago

A study was made of the reaction between sulphydryl compounds and tetrazolium salts, to estimate the value of the latter in the histochemistry of sulphydryl groups. The chemical reaction was found to be precarious, the relative concentrations of the two reactants making a great difference to its rate and efficiency. Hydrogen-ion concentration, oxygenation of the solutions, the presence of wetting agents and of other reducing compounds influenced the color development in a complicated manner. Mol-equivalents of various sulphydryl-containing compounds reacted differently towards tetrazolium salts. Histochemical quantitation was consequently difficult, apart from the fact that the reaction was relatively inefficient. Nevertheless, the histochemical results were considered to be comparable with those obtained with dihydroxydinaphythyldisulphide ("DDD"), although the overlap was not complete. Chemical and histochemical results were also at variance.

For histochemical purposes the method was most suited to demonstrate disulphide and sulphydryl groups together. Control sections were made in which disulphides alone were stained, and in which both sulphydryl and disulphide groups were blocked. For showing sulphydryl groups alone the reaction was least satisfactory.

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