Hi, Charles!

         You stated:

"Is there a standard measure of quality of fixation? A stain that shows
degree of fixation? I don't have a lot of equipment, and don't want to
spend a lot of money, but I have been challenged by a reviewer to show
that my perfusion methods (animal research) results in as good a
fixation as standard methods.
I can see it does, tissue quality is excellent for sectioning and
staining, but how do I quantify or show that? Age it 90 days and
report degree of crumbling? It is 4% formaldehyde fixation."


There are tons of really good references spouting the efficacy of perfusion
fixation over "standard methods".  Seems I recall several articles in the
Journal of Histotechnology on this same topic.  I am going to send you a
picture that I took of perfused versus non-perfused femurs.  This picture
really shows the difference!  I think we also have a way to load on a
histonet picture site?  If some kind soul would share that info, I will
also place it on that site.

After reviewing your question I wonder...is the reviewer questioning your
"choice of perfusion method" or "perfusion versus immersion" (there is NO
comparison between these two methods)?

Regards,
Linda



Linda Jenkins, HT
Clemson University
Dept. of Bioengineering
Clemson, SC 29634-0905
864.656.5553
http://www.ces.clemson.edu/bio/research/histo/histo.htm