Propidium iodide in vivo: an early marker of neuronal damage in rat hippocampus.

We have investigated the use of the fluorescent exclusion dye propidium iodide as a marker for acutely degenerating cells in vivo, and report here that combined injection of kainic acid and propidium iodide into the lateral cerebral ventricle results in labelling of CA3 pyramidal cells 1 and 6 h after injection. Alternate sections stained with thionin at these early times revealed little evidence of histologically detectable cell damage.