We routinely use zinc formalin for all tissues, and don't have a problem
     with background staining, quite the contrary; clean background and crisp
     staining.
     What detection system are you using?

     Ronnie Houston
     Regional Histology Operations Manager
     Bon Secours Health Partners Laboratories
     5801 Bremo Road
     Richmond, VA 23226


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: zinc fixative and sma
Author:  antje.marcantonio@pharma.novartis.com at BSHSIBTW
Date:    7/18/02 5:09 AM




       Hello Histonetters

       it has been discussed many times about zinc fixative
       (=formalin-free) ->
       histonet archive .We like to use it to stain surface markers,
       e.g. CD3,
       CD4, CD8, CD20 in monkey tissue, since in formalin fixed
       paraffin embedded
       tissue it is much more difficult to get an acceptable staining
       intensity
       without background.
       But now we would like to stain for smooth muscle actin in zinc
       fixed
       material. So far the results are disappointing because of high
       background.
       In FFPE the staining looks nice and clean. Any explanation for that ?
       Thank you for your help.

       Antje Marcantonio
       Novartis Pharma AG, Basel CH