Date sent:      	Tue, 25 Jun 2002 13:42:00 +0100
From:           	"Pasquetto, Silvia" 
Subject:        	Mounting media for toluidine blue stained slides
To:             	"Histonet chat (E-mail)" 

Dear 'netters,
I'm cutting some semi-thin sections (1 micron) from Epon-embedded tissues. 
I'd like to know what people use for mounting slides of toluidine blue
stained tissues. 

I noticed that there was a bleaching of sections after serial passage in
alcol 70%, 95%, 100%, xylene to DPX. Is better to use an aqueous medium (for
example Glycerol gelly )? Are there significant differences in mounting
among epoxidic resins (for example Epon 812 versus Spurr's )?

Silvia,
 avoid using alcohol to dehydrate your tol blue stained sections as 
this will "destroy" the desired metachromasia and reduce staining 
intensity.
Simply air dry thoroughly after washing (or use heat) to remove all 
traces of water (e.g. oven) then mount direct into DPX (you may 
rinse in xylene but not essential).
This will retain the staining and give better resolution than an 
aqueous mountant.
Terry. 
Terry.