Jim,

At 09:12 PM 5/17/01 -0400, Mass Histology Service wrote:
>I had a request to perform a "sirrus red" stain for collagen.  Is "sirrus
>red" the same as "sirius red" (c.i. 35780)?

I looked in Conn's Biological Stains, the Sigma and  the Aldrich catalogues
and found no "sirrus red".  However, Sirius Red (Direct Red 80) CI 35780
is found everywhere.  Where did you see Sirrus Red?  I think you have a
sirius problem here *vbg*    Siriously, (I can't be completely sirious...
it's Friday!!), I may be wrong, but I don't think there is a sirrus red.
Rather, it seems that someone didn't know that it was S I R I U S and came
up with the alternate spelling. Just my opinion.

>As I understand it, a 2% solution in saturated picric acid for 20 minutes is
>the complete stain... right?

What procedure are you using?  This sounds like van Gieson's, but all my
procedures say to use 1% acid fuchsin or ponceau S.  Conn's says, however,
that sirius red can be used in place of acid fuchsin for the van Gieson's
stain and that "it resists fading better than the acid fuchsin and it gives
a strong, selective staining of reticulum, basement membranes and collagen
when used to replaced with acid fuchsin." (See p. 199 Conn's Biological
Stains, 9th ed). Sirius red is soluable in water.  If you need a procedure,
I will be glad to send you mine. 

Connie McManus



>
>Thanks
>
>Jim
>
>____________________________
>James E. Staruk, HT(ASCP)
>Mass Histology Service
>http://www.masshistology.com
>
>
>