Patent ID: 8460639

Claim:
A labelling method for a hair cell comprising administering to a biological specimen a probe for a hair cell which contains as an active agent a staining compound represented by the general formula (I) wherein: R 1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or an aryl group; R 2 to R 5 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, a heterocyclic group, an amino group, or a halogen atom, and R 2 and R 3 , R 3 and R 4 , or R 4 and R 5 are optionally bonded to each other to form a ring; R 6 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; R 7 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a carboxylic acid group, or a cyano group; X 1 − represents an anionic group; Y represents a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom, —N(R 8 )—, or —C(R 9 )(R 10 )—, wherein R 8 to R 10 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or an aryl group, and R 9 and R 10 are optionally bonded to each other to form a ring; n represents an integer of 1 to 3; and A represents the general formula (IV) wherein: R 25 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aralkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, or an acyl group; R 26 to R 29 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a carboxylic acid group, a carboxylic acid ester group, or an acyl group, and R 26 and R 28 are bonded to each other to form a cyclopentane ring; and R 30 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, or a halogen atom.