Duh, actually the staining solution I use contains Methyl blue, not
toludene, plus the Azure II and Borax.  Hey, like I said, I'm a
psychologist, what do I know?!!  (I just know what works for me!)


> ----------
> From: 	BrosnanWatters, Gayle
> Sent: 	Thursday, February 17, 2000 11:14 AM
> To: 	'histonet'
> Subject: 	sectioning araldite
> 
> Judy, 
> 	I am not really an em tech, either, but a psychologist who sections
> mouse brains embedded in araldite.  I float my sections on the slide in a
> little distilled water, and then I take them to a hot plate (I set mine
> about at the number 2, what ever temp that is!), and the procedure then is
> really specific - you have to get the water hot enough to flatten out the
> tissue which is in araldite (as the other gentleman said, it is hard and
> won't flatten until it is hot) BUT you can't let the water bubble at all
> or it will form bubbles UNDER your tissue.  After the tissue is lying
> flat, I carefully drain the water off the slide by tipping it slightly and
> holding a tissue or something just touching the slide.  It then has to dry
> completely before I stain it.  I should say that I section at 1 micron
> (not for EM, just for light microscopy) but the lab I used to be in used
> the same technique (approximately) for EM.  I stain my tissue with a
> mixture of equal parts of toludene blue, azure II, and borax.  (I know, I
> know, Azure II has toludene blue in it, but for some reason this recipe
> works and it was the one I was taught!) In order to stain, after the slide
> is dry, I reheat it (it has to be quite hot, as this is what makes the
> tissue adhere to the slide), then put the stain on the tissue, continue to
> heat just until it is ALMOST ready to boil, but NOT boiling, then rinse
> off the excess stain.  This works for mouse and rat brains, but couldn't
> tell you if it is anything you'd want.  Hey, I'm just a psychologist, what
> do I know???
> 	I am a new lister, and I LOVE this!!
> 	Gayle
> 
> Gayle Brosnan-Watters, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor
> Psychology Department
> Vanguard University of Southern California
> 55 Fair Drive
> Costa Mesa, CA  92626
> Phone 714-556-3610 Ext. 454
> Fax 714-966-6316
> GBrosnanwatters@vanguard.edu
>