Leukostat Staining of Cytospin Preparations to Detect Apoptosis. Shailaja Kasibhatla et al. Leukostat staining is used to visualize nuclear changes and apoptotic body formation that are characteristic of apoptosis. Cells are viewed under a light microscope and counted to quantify apoptosis. This protocol can be used both for cells that grow in suspension and for adherent cells.