1Department of Oral Pathology, Kangnung National University Dental College, Kangnung 210-711, Korea. sklee@knusun.kangnung.ac.kr 2Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A practical RNA in situ hybridization method using digoxigenin labeled RNA probes is described in order to evaluate the technical difficulties and problems in RNA in situ hybridization.
METHODS: The paraffin sections, routinely processed in the Pathology Laboratory, were tested for the possibility of RNA in situ hybridization instead of the RNase free paraffin sections, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and prepared using RNase protection procedures.
RESULTS: Most of the paraffin sections, fixed in 10% neutral formalin solution in fresh condition, showed relatively good reaction of RNA in situ hybridization, although the necrotic tissue and autopsy specimens showed poor reaction of RNA in situ hybridization. A refixation procedure using a 4% paraformaldehyde solution was evaluated for optimal expression of mRNA in the paraffin sections.
CONCLUSION: The treatment of 4% paraformaldehyde before the treatment of proteinase K showed better in situ hybridization than did the treatment of 4% paraformaldehyde after the treatment of proteinase K. Also a new Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based method of RNA probe production showed consistently good results.