Hi Sylvia,

If you must remove the Oil Red O, then using the solvent+ (i.e., 70% EtOH
with a miscible oil(?) or the mixture as an emulsion, OR a high MW
polyethylene glycol (100% ), you should/might be able to tease the Oil Red O
out of the neutral fats in the section.  However, it seems to me that there
must be an easier way to solve your imaging problem.  

I would NOT expect you to be able to remove the Oil Red O from a section and
then do reasonable spectrophotometry.

My Assumption is:  Everybody has a color scanner nearby with a transparency
adapter, or, if not, then everybody has from $200-$1,000 to enable the
purchase of an appropriate substitute.

Take slides to the scanner and scan them in max color in transparency mode,
usually directly INTO a program like Adobe Photoshop.  Using Photoshop or
equivalent (e.g., NIH "ImageJ" which is FREE!), do what you normally do OR,
separate the R, G and B layers.  Compare the R layers (they will be in
grayscale).

With a scanner, you DO have an imaging utility available.

See the Nikon Coolscan 1x3 slide holder at (ONLY picture I could find!):

http://www.erwincomputers.com/nifhmeslad.html

NOTE:  I have NO connection to Nikon other than as a satisfied 35mm CAMERA
purchaser and user.

Regards,

Fred Monson

Frederick C. Monson, PhD
Center for Advanced Scientific Imaging
Mail Drop:  Geology
West Chester University
West Chester, PA, 19383
http://darwin.wcupa.edu/casi/
Phone/FAX:  610-738-0437 



-----Original Message-----
From: Sylvia Poulos [mailto:SPoulos@saa.ars.usda.gov]
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 12:39 PM
To: <
Subject: Stain removal


Hi all!
A bit of an odd request but your comments would be greatly appreciated!
Is there any way to remove hematoxylin and AEC staining but keep Oil-Red-O
staining?  Conversely, is there a way to remove Oil-Red-O staining without
removing the rest? 
I'd like to find a way to quantify Oil-Red-O staining by extracting it and
quantifying it on a spec because I no longer have access to an imaging
program.
Thanks for the help!!
Sylvia

Sylvia P. Poulos
USDA-ARS-Animal Physiology Research Unit
Athens, GA 30605