Timm staining of hippocampal nerve cell bodies in the Kyoto rat. A cell marker in allo- and xenografting of rat and mouse brain tissue, revealing neuronal migration.

Using the histochemical Timm sulphide silver method, a strain-specific, increased stainability of the cell bodies of the dentate granule cells and the hippocampal pyramidal cells was observed in the inbred Kyoto rat. The resulting dense staining which also includes neurons in the neocortex and cerebellum can be used as a cell marker in studies of intracerebral allo- and xenotransplantation of rat and mouse hippocampal tissue. Used in such experiments the marker revealed migration of dentate granule cells from Kyoto transplants into the Wistar host fascia dentata.