It could be that the collagen and or keratin in the feet is hardened. Try 
using a softener, like dilute ammonia or a fabric softener to soften the 
tissue before sectioning.

Tim Morken, B.A., EMT(MSA), HTL(ASCP)
Infectious Disease Pathology
Centers for Disease Control
MS-G32
1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333
USA

email: tim9@cdc.gov
       timcdc@hotmail.com

Phone: (404) 639-3964
FAX:  (404)639-3043


----Original Message Follows----
From: Taffy <hooser@anatomy.iupui.edu>
To: Monique Tourand <mtourand@maildrop.srv.ualberta.ca>, 
HISTONET@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Re: sections
Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 02:27:47 -0500 (CST)

THANK YOU!!!
I have been beating myself up over the SAME problem..the mice feet will NOT
section..I thought they were not completely fixed..I have shortened the
processing time, I have extended the processing time, we have used EDTA to
decal as well as Decal I..nothing seems to work. I keep getting the same
kind of sections that you describe. Let me know if you find the answer and I
will do likewise.
GOOD LUCK
Taffy Hooser




At 09:05 AM 6/29/00 -0700, you wrote:
 >Hello there,
 >
 >I just joined the histonet so this will be very helpful to me.  I
 >received two mice feet to embed and cut, they were fixed then I
 >decalcified them with Cal-ex.  I processed them as usual and blocked
 >them, but now when I tried to cut them they won't cut, there is just
 >a hole in the paraffin sections where the sample is.  When I cut it
 >sounds as if the bone is still a bit hard so I soaked the blocks
 >again in Cal-ex to see if that would help and I haven't yet tried to
 >cut them again.  Does anyone esle have any other suggestions that
 >will help or is there some other trick for cutting bone this is the
 >first time I have had to do it.  Thanks for any help.
 >
 >
 >Monique Tourand
 >University of Alberta
 >S.M.R.I
 >
 >
**************************************
Mary (Taffy) Hooser, HT(ASCP)
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
Indiana University School of Medicine
MS-5035, 635 Barnhill Drive
Indianapolis, IN. 46202-5120
Tel: (317)274-2308.
Fax: (317)278-2040.
E-mail: hooser@anatomy.iupui.edu
***************************************








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