Dear Histonetters:

A friend brought me a block of rat brain to cut.  (I have never cut
brain tissue before).  The tissue had been formalin fixed and paraffin
embedded.  When I tried to cut it, the tissue just crumbled out of the
block.  If I used moist heat and then chilled the block, I could get a
small ribbon,(six or seven sections) but then the tissue  would
crumble.  I'm not sure it was processed properly.  Does anyone have a
good protocol for fixing and processing rat brain?  Also, my friend
would like to cut thick sections (from 40 to 100 microns thick)  What do
I need to do that?  Any help would be appreciated.

Louise Strande
UMDNJ, Camden NJ