THE UTILITY OF HID-AB PH 2.5-PAS AND HID-PAS METHODS FOR CYTOCHEMICALANALYSIS OF MUCOSUBSTANCES SECRETED BY FISH EPIDERMIS

A couple of triple and dual staining methods [high iron diamine (HID)- alcian blue (AB) pH 2.5-periodic acid-Schiff(PAS) and HID-PAS] were su ccessfully utilized to analyze mucosubstances elaborated and released by epidermal mucous cells of four Indian freshwater fish species in li ght microscopy. In addition, other single and dual staining methods su ch as PAS, HID, AB pH 1.0, AB pH 2.5, AB pH 1.0-PAS, AB pH 2.5-PAS and HID-AB pH 2.5 were employed to further analyze the same substances an d to substantiate the results obtained by the HID-AB pH 2.5-PAS and HI D-PAS techniques. The comprehensive uses of pre-lectin histochemical p rocedures including the HID-AB pH 2.5-PAS and HID-PAS methods were unu sually useful to study the cytochemical properties of mucosubstances o f different mucous cell types involved in the epidermis of four Indian freshwater fish species.