Clearing with alcohol and xylene... is it necessary?

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From:"Fowler, Natalie" <FowlerN@prose.dpi.qld.gov.au> (by way of histonet)
To:histonet <histonet@magicnet.net>
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Hi everyone... I hope you don't think this is a stupid question, but I'll
ask it anyway! Is clearing with xylene necessary after staining for Glycol
Methacrylate slides???

I have been using toludine blue and polychrome to stain my slides and both
have stained nicely with clear tissue definition, However, I have had
problems with my slides stained with PAS. They have heaps of precipitate on
them and the glycogen granules aren't clear. We don't have xylene in our lab
as we only use GMA and we have a strong desire to avoid using xylene in the
lab if possible. Will clearing the slides improve them? Is it necessary to
use xylene on some stains and not others??

Thanks to all in advance,

Natalie Fowler
Northern Fisheries Centre
Cairns, Australia.




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