Doxorubicin as a fluorescent nuclear marker in tumors of the human nervous system: a simple and reliable staining technique.

This paper concerns the use of the fluorescent cytostatic compound doxorubicin (adriamycin) as a simple and reliable staining technique for nuclear DNA on tissue sections, isolated cell smears and imprint preparations. This method can be applied successfully to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens of human brain tumors. The distribution and concentration of chromatin within each cell nucleus can be assessed with great accuracy due to the distinct orange fluorescence of doxorubicin. Various cell types can be identified by their nuclear chromatin pattern, and signs of cellular malignancy can be revealed by the drug-induced fluorescence. The new method seems to be suitable both for routine neuropathological work and for tumor research. Quantitative studies on the nuclear DNA content can be easily and rapidly performed, since the method does not require a previous extraction of the cellular RNA.