RE: immuno/floating tissue

From:MontagueDonnaC@uams.edu

1)Try BD Gold Seal Ultrastick (TM) slides or Polysciences SectionLock (TM)
Slides
2)Let the water from the flotation bath drain off the slide 3-5 minutes (by
standing the slide up against the outside edge of the float bath or in a
slide draining rack) before placing the slide flat on the slide warming
station.
3)Leave the slide on the very warm slide warming table (approximately 5
degrees less than the meltpoint of the paraffin you are using)until the
paraffin is completely melted and the section glistens. 

NOTE:If the slide has not been properly drained before placement on the
warming table small (often undetectable to the naked eye) bubbles will form
between the section and the slide. Thus decreasing any adherance you may
think you are gaining by using costly slides and expensive additives.

My two cents learned the hard way doing hard tissues, Good luck
Donna Montague, M.S.
Research Associate
Physiology/Biophysics and Orthopaedic Surgery
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
(501) 603-1239


-----Original Message-----
From: Vicki Kalscheur [mailto:kalschev@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu]
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 8:56 AM
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: immuno/floating tissue


     
     
     I am a graduate student working on my MS in the Comparative Orthopedic 
     Research Lab at the UW-Madison.  
     
     My project involves examining chondrocyte viability in bovine patella 
     samples over time.  Part of my project is examining the articular 
     cartilage for apoptotic chondrocytes.  I will be using Anti-Caspace 3, 
     Anti-PARP, and Tunel assays to do this.  
     
     I am, however, having a problem regarding this procedure.  It seems 
     that my samples will not adhere to the slides during the assays.  
     After about 4 washes (only 1/4 of the way through each assay) the 
     sections fall off the slides and float in the solution.
     
     I have tried Aminoalkylsilane coated slides, and a product called HALT 
     to help adhere the sections but have had no luck.  I am currently 
     using EDTA to decalcify the sections and frozen sectioning.  I have 
     considered using paraffin embedded samples to secure my samples more 
     effectively but am afraid of the damage to the chondrocytes during 
     heating.  We also plan on trying some free-floating analysis.
     
     I would greatly appreciate any suggestions anyone could provide.  My 
     email is bethloughrin@hotmail.com.  My fax is 608-263-7930 (please put 
 

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