You did not say if you are processing whole brains, bisected brains OR
coronal slices of brains.  If you are doing the latter, 3 mm slices, your
schedule is too long and  you are overprocessing the tissues which creates
your sectioning problems.  Shorten the processing schedule will help this
problem.  You will see a great deal of discussion on this recently found in
Histonet Archives, do a keyword search.

Too much dehydration, clearing and heat of paraffin is drying out the
tissue.  

You can try soaking the trimmed block in ice water to help sectioning, but
it is tedious.  
Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology 
Montana State University - Bozeman
PO Box 173610
Bozeman MT 59717-3610
406 994-6367 (lab with voice mail)
406 994-4303 (FAX)



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