Microspectrophotometric quantitation of the diaminobenzidine reaction for histochemical demonstration of cytochrome oxidase activity.

Polyacrylamide models in which an extract of cattle heart mitochondria was incorporated, as well as cryostat sections of tongue muscle and epithelium, were used to set up the conditions under which the histochemical reaction for the demonstration of cytochrome oxidase can be quantitated. Using diaminobenzidine in a concentration of 5.5 mM, cytochrome C in a fixed concentration of 76 micron and keeping the incubation medium away from direct light action, enzyme activity can be evaluated by means of direct microphotometry on tissue sections. Each biologic model requires previous individual determination of the measurement limits. These limits can be readily established by using a small chamber for the incubation medium, which can be placed in the microphotometer, allowing the reaction rate to be following using a single section.