Dansyl hydrazine labeling of polysaccharide bodies in human brain.

A method is described for selective fluorescent staining of polysaccharide bodies, such as those found in Alzheimer's disease, Lafora's disease and adult polyglucosan disease. Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded sections of human autopsied brain tissue were stained with the fluorescent compound dansyl hydrazine. It specifically stained polysaccharide bodies in tissue sections with great sensitivity and little background. The dansyl hydrazine staining technique also reveals a high degree of structural detail in the stained tissues.