"J. Foote" wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have been asked to prepare and stain the grey matter of 4 mm slices of
> brain for macroscopic study in a neuroscience course that will be taught
> this semester.  The method I have is a variation on a Mulligan stain that
> was published by Roberts and Hanaway in Stain Technology 44(3).  This
> method has been used for the last thirty years with good results, but the
> down side of the procedure is the production of strong vapors.  The method
> requires CuSO4-phenol mixture followed by quick wash in potassium
> ferrocyanide.  I have been told even with full safety measures taken (i.e..
> use of gowns, respirators, double layer of gloves and the use of fume
> hoods) it is still an unpleasant procedure. So, I was wondering does anyone
> on this list have any experience staining whole brain slices and if they
> do, can they suggest other methods that might not be as unpleasant.  I look
> forward to any suggestions you might have.
>
> J. Foote
>
> J. Foote
> Histology Unit
> Medical School Laboratories
> Faculty of Medicine
> Memorial University of Newfoundland
> St. John's, Newfoundland

Try the performic acid-astra blue method of Braak, Stain Technology 53(2):
87-89, 1978. I think astra blue is the same as Alcian blue (which can be
rendered insoluble with an alkaline wash after staining tissue sections).

Geoff
--
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Geoff McAuliffe, Ph.D.
Neuroscience and Cell Biology
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854
voice: (732)-235-4583; fax: -4029
mcauliff@umdnj.edu
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