Hi Lisa,
If you believe the hole is from fat that is not sectioning, your problem could
be the fat is not frozen.  I fat needs to be chilled to -50 degreesC. to
section properly.  Cool your cryostat down to about -27. Then you can try
using a liquid nitrogen spray or take a swab and put in liquid nitrogen then
hold the swab on to the face of the block till the tissue turns white. I t is
then ready to section. The second section off is usually the one to pick up.
If you have time you can sometimes accomplish this by just leaving the block
in the cyrostat for about 5 minutes then attempt to section.  Also, as you
take your section do not turn the wheel slowly. Wiith fat it is better if you
take a farily rapid stroke.  Hope this helps.
Mequita Praet
Dermatology Associates


Lisa Lafranco wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I am trying to cryosection canine synovium and am having difficulty.  The
> section comes up with holes where the tissue should be.  I believe this is
> due to the amount of fat in the tissue.  Does anyone have advice on how to
> handle this type of tissue?  The cryostat I am using is set at 25 degrees,
> and the sections are 8 microns.
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Forward response to llafranco@ucdavis.edu